


Drabbles

by NMJ



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, Drabbles, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hurt and comfort, M/M, OC featured in Latest Chapters, One Shot, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Story within a Story, death warning, no rhyme or reason to posting or chapters, trigger warnings will be posted on necessary chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2020-05-12 00:11:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 28,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19217659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NMJ/pseuds/NMJ
Summary: One-Shots. Open to requests.Character Focuses: Lloyd- Ninjago City Citizens- Harumi-Harumi and Mr. E- Harumi- Echo Zane- Cole- Kai/Cole- Pixal (NS11 Spoilers)-Kai/Cole- Pixal- Project: Black Ice (12-17)- Cryptor and Kai- Echo, Zane, and Kali- Skybound- Songfic (Zali)





	1. Day of the Departed

It was the Day of the Departed; Ninjago City was still rebuilding from its time under Emperor Garmadon and the Oni’s reign of terror. Though the plumes of smoke had long since dissipated, the scorch marks and the debris were still being cleaned up by the citizens, police, and Ninja. But today, today was different. Everyone knew there would be more lanterns ascending into the starlit night, wails of grief would freely flow through the streets as the fresh wounds of death still bled, yet at one mountain peak- there were no wails. 

Soft chatter echoed between the Monastery of Spinjitzu’s newly finished walls as the group of six Ninja, one sensei, two droids, and seven parents entered the courtyard of the ancient palace of peace. Kai and Nya had one lantern between them, yet they felt peace; no longer suffocated under the mystery of their parents’ disappearance, they had been able to spend the past few holiday’s bonding with their family once again. Jay held a single lantern, thinking about his birth father that he never got to know, yet with Ed and Edna beside him, he knew he couldn’t be sad. 

Cole held a single lantern along with a picture of a family of three; a man with slicked-back black hair and a mustache looking stoic, a woman with uncontrollable curled hair and a grin from ear to ear, and a child swaddled in an orange blanket. Zane and his brother, Echo Zane, held one lantern between them as Pixal and Dr. Borg looked on, ready to embrace their extended family. Lloyd held a single lantern and the photo of himself and Sensei Garmadon on their Father-Son bonding trip many years back. Lloyd’s heart ached every time he glanced down at the grins the pair had shared, thinking back on the rare happy moments his father had before he had been killed by the Cursed Realm. A flash memory of Emperor Garmadon appeared in Lloyd’s mind, yet he pushed it away; that man, that monster, was not his father. He had no love in his heart, no soul in his body, just an empty husk from a botched resurrection ritual from a broken Princess. 

Under the mural depicting the Ninja’s heroic adventures across Ninjago, from traveling to the Underworld and performing the Tornado of Creation to their most recent time in the First Realm, there lay a sea of candles flickering and fluttering in the moonlight. Cole, Jay, Zane, and Lloyd placed their photographs of their departed family members in a shrine between the candles as Kai started lighting each of the lanterns. Once each of the lanterns had been lit and everyone gave their prayers to the departed, the lights were released and ascended into the stars. Lloyd watched his lantern with a heavy heart, then murmured, “Happy Day of the Departed, Father.”  
***  
In the forest of Tranquility at the base of the mountain where the Monastery of Spinjitzu rested, a man made of shadows with skin as black as night sat in a small clearing between the towering trees. In front of him, two lanterns lay on the ground unlit. His mind was still filled with fog, ever since he first awoke at the Temple of Resurrection alone and confused; he only heard the voice of Harumi calling for him, telling him to find her. All he knew, everything from his past, he learned from her. His anger, his fury, it came from her, yet he could only begin to piece together his past as Lord and Sensei Garmadon. Fragments, glimpses of images, voices echoing in the darkness, would he ever understand what he was and who he is now?

Written in the dirt, in front of each lantern, were Harumi and My Past. He could only mourn for the life he had before, the laughter that chimed in his dreams, and the only person who stayed by his side before her untimely death. Though he knew he still had Lloyd, he knew that he could not face him again; he was not the man he was supposed to be, Garmadon was supposed to be dead. Somedays, he wished that he was dead, longing to return to the peace that the Departed Realm held, yet he knew he had a purpose here in Ninjago. With the flick of a lighter, he lit the lanterns and released them into the air. Watching the sea of lanterns appear at the mountain peak, he gave one last glance upwards and disappeared into the shadows with a murmur. “Happy Day of the Departed, Lloyd.”


	2. Fallen Heroes

The Ninja have fallen.

An army stretched towards the horizon, a sea of black Nindroids with ember-red eyes marched towards the capital city. The Ninja, the citizens’ beloved heroes, lay by the people’s feet, defeated by the seemingly unending assault of droids. Torn clothes, bloody wounds, and closed eyes haunted the thousands of eyes at watched from the city’s outskirts.

**“Your city is surrounded! Surrender or die,”** the leader of the Nindroids called, wielding a silver katana.

_“The Ninja have fallen. The Ninja have fallen.”_ Repeated whispers echoed through the crowded streets, yet no tears of sorrow were shed. Tears did flow, but they were in righteous fury and rage. One by one, the half-dead Ninja were picked up and carried through the crowds, arms splayed out as if they were floating on the ocean waves.

_“Be careful, they’re heroes. Be careful, they’re heroes. Be careful…”_

One by one, the Ninja vanished into the sea of citizens, ready to be found by any nurses or doctors in the crowd.

_“We must avenge them,”_ a murmur echoed.

_“It’s our time now,”_ another said.

_“They’ve protected us-“_

_“-Now it’s our time-“_

_“-To protect them!”_

A ripple of energy flowed through the people; armed with swords and scythes, knives and frying pans, rolling pins and other items, the citizens charged out from the safety of the streets into the desert. The Nindroids never realized what was coming.


	3. Harumi Monologue

I stared at the newspaper that trembled in my hands, reading the headline that I had memorized by heart; _Great Devourer Terrorized Ninjago City; Fifty Left Dead in its Wake. Ninja Team Defeats Monster._ Tears burn in my eyes as I set the fragile paper down, I didn’t want to reread the article. I couldn’t reread it. I already had enough anger burning in my heart, reading it would only extinguish the raging fire within my soul. 

As I set the paper on the bed beside me, I can hear the celebrations outside my window, the people cheering for their beloved Ninja. “The Saviors of the city!” they cry. “Destroyer of Monsters!” they shout. “Our Heroes!” they exclaim. I can feel the bile rising in the back of my throat, my fingers dig into my palm, I can feel the sting as my nails break the skin. 

Confetti rained down from the sky, fluttering and spiraling onto the street. A few landed on my windowsill, gently shuddering in the breeze. I stepped up to the window, glaring at the streets below; hundreds, if not thousands of people lined the streets, carrying balloons, banners, and signs praising the so-called heroes. Music blared from nearby buildings, singing songs of praise to the citizens. I would have joined them when I was younger, swept along with the current of bodies intermingling in the streets. I would have shouted, sang, cheered until my throat burned, until I lost my voice. I would have, but not anymore. With a swipe of my hand, the confetti tumbled onto the sidewalk a story below, only to be trampled by the crowd without a second thought. 

I slammed the window shut, but I could not walk away. I knew that if I turned around, I would return to my bed and stare at that damned newspaper once again. I would scan through the names of the missing or dead and stare at the two names I knew. The names that I wished weren’t on there. The names I had known since the day I was born. 

I slammed my fists on the windowsill, unable to stop the stream of tears pouring down my face. The people are blind, they are naive, _they are fools!_ The Ninja that they praise, the Ninja that they call their Champions, they are the true enemy! The So-Called Heroes brought the Monster to our city, they are the reason for the pain that we suffer! Those Ninja don’t care about us, they only care about the glory of saving us! They never help rebuild our city, they disappear until the next villain arrives. They aren’t Heroes! They are the true villains! They are the reason that my parents are **dead!**

I pause, my body becomes absolutely still. My hands are clenched into tight fists, my teeth ache from being grounded together, my cheeks are soaked with tears. My parents are dead. _My parents are dead._ Those “Heroes” killed my parents; those Ninja killed me.


	4. Harumi and Mr. E

In a dimly lit room within Borg tower, Harumi was surrounded by scattered parts, electric tools, and a terribly dismantled nindroid laying on the center island. A black motorcycle helmet with a cracked red visor lay beside him as he stared blankly at the ceiling. Harumi’s scarred hands softly shook as she worked on the wiring and screws within E’s chest. Her malachite eyes flickered from the wiring and metal joints to E’s red and gold eyes. 

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

E’s head turned silently, the blank stare was replaced with something softer with a sorrowful tone. “I don’t need your guilt,” he said, though his voice was cracked and mixed with static. It was the one thing she didn’t know how to fix. “I failed my mission, plain and simple.”

“But I assigned you to that mission, I was the one to recommend you, and now you’re like this.”

“It’s better than being abandoned in a lighthouse for years on end,” E grunted. “I can at least do something other than rust and become covered in bird droppings.”

Harumi gave the barest hint of a smile, yet her mind started to wander. She could hear Garmadon’s voice in her head, scolding her for letting E fail. She could still hear him threaten her life, ready and willing to get rid of her without a moment’s hesitation. She could still see the hatred and emptiness in the sickly red eyes of the resurrected warlord, the man she herself brought back from the dead. Yet, she knew that wouldn’t stop him from disposing of her without a second thought. Was she honestly that useless? Did she really mean nothing to the man she idolized for years?

E furrowed his eyebrows. He despised when she fell silent, it reminded him too much of his solitary confinement and the neglect of Doctor Julien, his so-called father. He reached a nearly dislocated hand up to her cheek and said, “Don’t fret about that. We can prove ourselves vital to the mission. We will defeat their resistance.” His thumb wiped away a stray tear, though it ended up smudging her red face paint. “You’re going to need to fix that.”

With that, Harumi laughed for the first time in months.


	5. After Harumi's Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A possible lead into an OC & Harumi redemption story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Death Warning

Harumi felt the world underneath her feet crumble and shake, tearing apart as if the Gates of Hell were welcoming her with open arms. The tremors overtook her body, rattling her vision as if she was stuck on a rollercoaster; her gaze traveled across the decimated streets towards a building about two blocks away. A fleck of green and a fleck of gray stared back at her; one filled with hate and betrayal, the other with sadness. 

The building beneath her started to crumble, collapsing into the ground with an unbelievable deafening roar. Harumi knew this was it; she reached her hand towards the flecks of green and gray, desperate for anything to save her cursed life, yet the acceptance had filled her being. As her body became weightless, plummeting towards the jagged concrete piling below, a single thought echoed through her mind. 

_You were right._

A crack. Her body snapped backward, her head connected against the rocks with a sickening thwap, then a flash of white filled her vision. Everything was weightless as if she was floating in space. The white faded away, revealing a galaxy of colors around her; Harumi’s white hair floated around her head like a halo as she spun around, searching for any answers to where she was. 

Within the galaxy of colors, Harumi could see windows into other planes; a realm of eternal blizzard-like winter, a land filled with animal-like humans fighting over strange blue orbs, a world where buildings and boats floated in a sea of clouds, and so many more. Directly to her left, she could see Ninjago and it’s capital city; she watched as Lloyd, Nya, and Pixal carried an unconscious Skylor through the city as Emperor Garmadon’s stone titan destroyed the buildings haphazardly, screaming at them in unstoppable fury from his perch on top of Borg Tower. Harumi felt sick to her stomach; she caused this, she caused the suffering of the people due to her anger and search for vengeance. How could she have been so blind?

In front of her, there was another window into another realm but it was clouded; she couldn’t see into it beyond vague shapes within the opaque fog. Three figures approached the edge of the fog, two vaguely men-like and one vaguely woman-like; one man and the woman placed a hand on the edge of the barrier as their voices echoed through, encircling around Harumi like a blanket fresh out of the dryer. 

“Our child, how we have missed you dearly,” the man, Harumi’s father, crooned. 

“You were taken from us far too soon, how we wished that we could’ve stayed by your side,” her mother said. 

“Mama? Papa?” Harumi whimpered, feeling her weightless body float towards the barrier. Gently trembling, she placed her hands against her parents’, though they remained far apart against the icy barrier. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“We’ve been watching over you since that day, praying that you would find the right path without our guidance,” her dad said. But then his hand closed into a fist. 

“You let your hatred, your need for vengeance, your loneliness, and your obsessions overtake your once kind soul. Our child, you have the blood of innocent people staining your hands, cursing you, keeping you from joining us in the Departed Realm.”

“Mama! Papa!” Harumi cried, feeling a cold settle over her. 

“If you don’t change, you will be trapped in the Cursed Realm for all eternity; trapped as a wallowing soul with no hope for peace.”

A chain latched onto her feet, strangling her with unbelievable strength, another chain wrapped around her waist, forcing her breath out of her. Two more chains coiled around her forearms as one final one strangled her neck. Harumi was yanked downward, torn away from the warmth of her parents as choked-out cries escaped her lips. She struggled, she fought, she flailed, yet she continued to descend faster and faster as the light around her started to disappear; the warm white light shifted and changed into a sickeningly green glow, groaning and wailing grew louder around her. Harumi glanced over her shoulder and saw a massive malachite green maw waiting for her, ready to suffocate her in the darkness. 

“Our child, this is where you’ll end up if you don’t change, trapped in the Cursed Realm forever. But, someone has given you a second chance at life.”

“Someone here and in life cares about you; they want you to find peace.”

A new voice spoke as the darkness enveloped her, “I know that you believed I was your savior, that when I became good I had betrayed everything you wanted me to be, but what you did was not right. I believe that everyone has good and bad in them; you’ve dwelled in the darkness, now it is time for you to see the light. Find my son and his friends; gain their forgiveness, help the people that you harmed, save your soul. You may never completely wash the blood from your hands, but you may be able to find peace and ease your spirit for when the right time finally comes.”

Harumi’s eyes started to close as a white light glowed from her chest, emanating from her heart. The cold started to fade, the chains loosened, a beeping echoed in the back of her head as Master Garmadon’s voice surrounded her one last time. 

“I, Montgomery Garmadon, firstborn son of the First Spinjitzu Master, grant Harumi Rosen a second chance at life.”


	6. Echo Zane

"A remote island?” Harumi murmured, buried waist-deep in books at the Ninjago History Museum. “If he was such a great inventor, he must’ve left behind some blueprints or tech that we could use.” Glancing around, she removed a hidden switchblade from a pocket underneath her kimono and silently sliced the page from the book, tucking it away along with the pages about resurrection and oni masks only moments before Hutchins knocked on the doorframe. 

“Your highness, are you ready to go? It is a long journey back to the palace,” he said, though she noticed a gleam of unease in his singular aged eye. Harumi didn’t trust him and she was sure that Hutchins didn’t trust her. 

With a silent huff, she closed her book and placed it on top of her pile, waiting to be restocked on the shelves by the monks who found refuge there. “Yes, of course. I found everything I needed to know.”

***

Harumi, Ultra Violet, and Killow stood on the deck of the ship as a light pierced through the early morning fog, glinting and shimmering as hundreds of minuscule rainbows lit up the dawn. Harumi felt her stomach twist and her heart skip as the towering structure loomed in front of them. _This was it, it had to be!_

“Are you sure about this, Quiet One?” Killow asked, glancing down at her. The behemoth, though unbelievably strong and towering above every member of the Ninjago population, did have quite a few strange fears and trepidations. 

“I’m sure of it, all that matters is that we find anything that can aid in bringing back Garmadon or stopping the Ninja.”

The boat ground to a halt against the wet shoreline, crunching against the sand and rocks as it became silent. Harumi was the first to jump onto the shore, her boots sunk into the mud with a sickening Squish and Squelch. She shuddered out a shiver that crawled up her spine and marched forward, she ground her teeth as Ultra Violet and Killow made similar noises when they stepped into the sand.

Up the hundreds of stairs, the trio marched, hearing the crashing of the waves grow fainter and fainter with each step. By the top, Harumi was breathing heavily as beads of sweat dripped down her face; Ultra Violet was wheezing and grumbling curses behind her while Killow… he seemed unaffected. _Maybe she should ask if he could carry her down when they left?_ she wondered. 

Ultra Violet giddily kicked down the door, holding out a sai in anticipation of a fight. When no one attacked, her crazed grin fell with a disappointed huff. Her purple eyes glanced upwards. “Are you kidding me?” she growled, tucking away her weapon. 

Harumi was regretting coming out with every aching step. Halfway up the wooden stairs, she felt faint. Three-fourths of the way up, she found herself being carried by Killow on his shoulder. Though she would never admit it, it made her feel like a parrot perched on him. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they made it to the top of the stairs and found several boxes filled to the brim, waiting to be opened. Ultra Violet took to one pile, Killow waited to be told what to carry downstairs, and Harumi took another pile. Scavenging through the scrap metal, rusted coils, nuts and bolts ready to turn to dust, she found several blueprints still wrapped up. 

“Aha!” Harumi exclaimed, removing about four blueprints from the metal junk. She unrolled the first diagram, disappointed to see it was only for a table that changes into the light for the lighthouse. She tossed it over her shoulder in a huff. 

Second diagram; a cross-section for a vehicle designed for the Skulkins from many years before. Perhaps her technicians could alter this for their bikes? She placed it off to the side and pulled out the third one. A tea robot? What would she need with a tea robot? Harumi threw that one over her shoulder and readied the last one, unfurling it to reveal- 

Ultra Violet suddenly yelped. The sound of metal clanging to the ground shattered the quiet air. “Quiet one! It’s one of the ninja!” Harumi abandoned the blueprint and rushed over, knife in hand. 

Curled up in the corner, hiding his head under his arms, appeared to be a rusted, copper version of the Titanium Ninja. He trembled and rattled, creating a small circle of rust around his body. This must be who the blueprint is about. 

Harumi tucked away her knife, motioning for Ultra Violet to do the same. She knelt down, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’re not going to hurt you,” she cooed. “What’s your name?”

The android revealed his copper eyes. His voice, though creaky and a bit rough, sounded almost identical to the Titanium Ninja’s. “Zane,” he squeaked. “Echo Zane.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Echo Zane. Are you here all alone?”

“I’m waiting for my father to return. He left with many people and promised to return,” Echo Zane said, slowly unfurling himself. 

“How long ago was that?”

“I… I don’t know?”

“Who were the people that he went with?”

“It was someone… who looked like me?”

“Echo, I think that was about six years ago. The person who looks like you is a ninja named Zane Julien; he and his team of friends found your father here and brought him back to the mainland.”

“Is he coming back?”

Harumi felt a pang in her heart. Echo’s wide innocent eyes wouldn’t look anywhere but hers; she had to tell him the truth. “Your father passed away about a month after arriving on the mainland, he never told anyone about you.”

Echo Zane’s eyes glazed over; for a moment, Harumi was worried that he had literally shut down right in front of her before he finally spoke in a broken whisper. “Passed away? Wh-What does that mean?”

“He’s gone,” Ultra Violet said, bluntly. “Dead. Not coming back.”

Echo gave a sharp shriek, grabbing his head as his trembling returned with a vengeance. “No, no, no! He promised me! He told me he would come back for me! He promised!”

Harumi gave Ultra Violet a quick glare. The daredevil woman shrugged and continued scrounging through the crates as the princess turned her attention to the android. “It’s going to be okay, Echo. We’re heading back to the mainland in a little while, do you want to come back with us?”

“You want me to come back with you?”

“Of course, we wouldn’t want to abandon you here like Zane and his friends did. We can upgrade your systems, make sure you don’t fall apart or rust anymore. You’d be surrounded by people who appreciate you and won’t forget you.”

Echo Zane fell silent, staring at the stone wall in front of him. Harumi decided he needed to have a couple of minutes to himself to figure out his answer. She stood up, dusted off her pants, and went back to sorting through the crates. About a half-hour later, after piling together the blueprints, spare metal, and miscellaneous items they were going to bring back, she went and checked on Echo one last time. Instead of sitting in the corner as she expected, he was leaning against the open windows with his eyes fixed on the horizon. 

“What are you thinking?”

“I’ve never left this tower before,” he murmured. “Will I never see this view again? Do I want to see this view again?” He gave a grinding sigh, lowering his head for a moment. “I want to come with you. You’ve shown me a kindness that I haven’t felt in so long…”

Harumi held out a hand, giving him a reassuring smile. “Then c’mon Echo; let’s head home.”


	7. Wings Made of Wax

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Itty-Bitty Teeny-Tiny Chapter

The Master of Earth was supposed to stay on the ground, he was supposed to be connected to the soil that made up his being; yet, here he was, hundreds of feet in the air hanging from a rickety old rope ladder above a sea of turbulent black smog and leviathan-like tendrils coiling and curling beneath his feet. His eyes remained locked on the ever blue sky above the deck of the Destiny’s Bounty, to safety, to his friends. Hand over hand, step by step, he began to sway with every moment of ascension. Closer and closer to the sun bearing down on his charcoal black uniform; Cole began to feel as if he himself was flying with wings made of wax, ready to embrace the open sky around him as he grew closer to the railing and Kai’s awaiting extended hand.

The roar of the engines overtook his senses; the heat from the fire, the smell of gasoline, the thunderous rage of the thrusters clouded his mind. The Bounty shot backward. Cole’s grip slipped. Tumbling down, down, down; hands flailing for any grasp to stop his descend. A railing, his foot became caught, the bubbling sea of smoke seemed to call for him, singing his name. The Bounty shot forward once again, the rope began to bounce and swing. Cole reached up, catching Jay’s terrified eyes and outstretched hand. 

A snap. 

Weightlessness. 

A scream. 

And silence. 

Icarus has fallen.


	8. Kai's Plan

The day had finally come. The day Kai has been dreading and yet expecting for the last month or so. The day for his ultimate plan to finally unfurl; he jumped through hoops, did things he wished he didn’t have to, doubled- no, _triple_ checked every facet of his plan to make sure nothing gets in his way. 

Kai glanced at the clock; was there enough time to back out? No, he couldn’t back out. Not now, he had long since passed the point of no return. Was everything and everyone in their positions? Zane and Pixal were spending the evening with Pixal’s father, Doctor Borg, and wouldn’t be back until the next morning. Nya was with Skylor and wouldn’t be back until the next afternoon. Jay and Lloyd decided to have a guy’s night out and wouldn’t be back until noon. That only left Cole, the missing piece of Kai’s puzzle. 

Everything on the Bounty was ready, he just needed to wait for the right moment. He sat on the bed and kept glancing at the clock nearly every thirty seconds on the dot. Where is he? He should’ve been here by now. Kai’s hands started to shake, his stomach twisted and curled like a pit of snakes, ready to spill venom into his veins. Maybe he wasn’t going to show? What if his plan falls apart? Kai resisted the urge to tug on his hair or to bite at his lip, he didn’t have time to redo his ungelled hair. 

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

Kai nearly leapt off of the bed, his already-frayed nerves grew even worse as he fumbled for his phone. The screen lit up his face as he read the message:

_Sorry, running late, be there in five._

The clicking of the artificial keyboard filled the silent air as Kai wrote back:

_Cool, no prob. it’s fine. meet me below deck when you get here._

A soft swish, the message was sent. A checkmark, read at 8:09PM. Three dots appeared. 

_Everything okay?_

Kai started to bite his lip. 

_Yeah everythings fine_

Read at 8:10PM. Three dots. 

_Ok._

Kai swiped his finger across the screen, switching to a chat between himself, Nya, Skylor, and Pixal.

_He’s almost here._

Three dots. Another three dots. Three more dots. 

_N: how are you feeling?_

_S: remember to take things slow_

_P: Control your heart rate and breathing._

_K: my hands are shaking i don’t think i can do this_

_N: you can’t back out now, bro. you put too much time into this_

_P: There is a fifty/fifty chance that he feels the same way that you do. Do not feel discouraged._

_S: you’ll never know if you don’t do this. take the risk, kai_

_N: we’re cheering you on!_

_P: We know you can do this, Kai._

The door leading below deck opened with a loud creak. Cole’s voice called out for Kai. 

_K: hes here gtg_

A thumbs-up, a heart, and a finger’s crossed emoji appeared in the chat before Kai shut his phone off. He stumbled to his feet, smoothed out any wrinkles on his black pants and red button-up shirt, grabbed the bouquet of flowers sitting beside the door and stepped out into the hall- right into Cole’s chest. 

“Kai! Oh God are you okay?” he cried, his sea-green eyes glanced over Kai’s face before noticing the tips of flowers peeking out from behind his back. 

Kai’s face had long-since turned redder than his shirt; with trembling hands, he covered his face with his left and held out the bouquet with his right. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he murmured with a heavy muffle. 

Cole blinked in surprise. He carefully took the bouquet, realizing not only was it a rainbow but that every flower was either his or his mother’s favorite. How did he know?

“I talked to your dad,” Kai murmured, removing his hand from his face. “Some of these flowers are so hard to find, but I wanted this to be special. I, uh, well, here.” He stepped back into the room and gestured to the bedspread; several small baskets of Cole’s favorite chocolates were laid out in between flower petals. Chocolate cake, chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate bites and so much more were waiting for them. 

“Zane made sure that the chocolates wouldn’t melt; Pixal helped create an insulated box that would keep them cool. Nya, Skylor, Pixal, and Jay helped me plan this, but I guess it isn’t going to plan.”

Cole was speechless. He’s never had anyone plan anything so intricate for him, he didn’t know what to say. He glanced over at Kai who was waiting for any kind of response. “This… this is for me?”

Kai blinked in surprise. “Yeah, it’s all for you, Cole. I… I really like you. I’ve looked up to you for so long, it took a while to realize it wasn’t just as a leader, it was something else. When you first came out to us, it made me realize that I wasn’t straight, and it’s taken me a long time to realize that I was bi. There were plenty of girls that I thought were cute but I could never envision a future with any of them. You’re the only one I’ve ever seen a future with, you’re the only one I’ve ever felt this way. I don’t know if I’m ready to say those words just yet, but I was hoping to ask; would you go out with me?”

Cole’s mind went absolutely blank, like an old television screen that had just been turned off. His mouth flapped open and closed, yet nothing came out. _Kai liked him? Kai was asking him out? Was this a dream or was this actually happening?_ He glanced at the chocolates, then to Kai, then to the flowers in his hands. _Kai liked him. Kai was asking him out on a date. Kai wanted to love him._ Tears started to brim in his eyes, a watery smile overtook his face as he wrapped the master of fire in the largest bear hug he had ever given. “Of course! Yes, of course I will!”

Kai’s tense body finally relaxed, growing nearly limp in the master of earth’s immense grip. Returning the hug, he nuzzled his face into Cole’s neck and gave a peaceful sigh. This was going to be the best Valentine’s Day ever.


	9. Pixal's Lament

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Big Warning!!! Spoilers for Season 11 Fire and Ice Chapters, read at your own risk**

The monastery was too quiet. No laughter, no sounds of video games or food sizzling in the kitchen, no talking. Pixal wandered the halls, glancing into each of the bedrooms; the beds had long since been made, laundry baskets sat abandoned, filled with folded cleaned uniforms and garments, and phones sat with unread notifications on each of their pillows. It had only been two days, seven hours, and thirty-six minutes since the Ninja had been sent in the Land Bounty to the Never Realm, but it had been four days, thirteen hours, and four minutes since Zane had been banished. Pixal has never felt so alone. 

_Is this what being a hero is?_ she wondered. _Sacrificing yourself every day for the citizens of the country? Throwing yourself into harm's way to protect those that cannot protect themselves? Watching the ones you love die over and over again?_ Pixal glanced into Lloyd’s room;

_She was standing in Borg Tower, the top floor, surrounded by the Ninja and their teachers. They stared at the screen, listening to the static pulse and shift with bated breath. “Lloyd, are you there?” she called into the void. A few moments passed. More static. “Do you read me?” A few more breaths, the pulse of the static matched the beating of the Ninja’s hearts. Garmadon’s breath started to tremble. The static screeched, Lloyd’s frantic voice echoed through, calling out that he was all right. Pixal’s momentarily relief was quickly overshadowed by the recalling that her father had been kidnapped before her very eyes._

Pixal glanced into Nya’s room;

_She had only been Samurai X for a few days, settling into the armor and VXL surprisingly well. She had tracked Zane’s signal to the Vermillion and Time Twins base, rescued her (once again) kidnapped father, but they had failed in preventing the Iron Doom from becoming active with the time blades. Pixal (under an anonymous identity), Jay, Cole, Zane, and Cyrus watched in horror as the Iron Doom charged up; they were helpless to stop it. High in the sky above them, a multicolored vortex had opened, tearing open as far back as several decades ago, as the Iron Doom started to charge upwards. A roar echoed across the area, a fusion dragon led by Kai and Nya dove towards the Iron Doom._

_“Control time, control everything!” Acronix and Krux’s voices exclaimed just before they disappeared into the vortex. Two people leaped off of the dragon’s back, slowly climbing their way down through the scaffolding, as the fusion dragon spun upwards towards the vortex. Pixal could see Kai and Nya glance down at them, possibly for the last time, before they disappeared in a flash of light._

_“Kai!” Cole screamed, reaching upwards towards the sunrise sky._

_“Nya!” Jay wailed, grabbing at his head._

Pixal’s memory became blank after that. 

She moved down the hall, glancing into the main bedroom for Kai, Jay, Cole, and Zane. They adamantly refused to have separate bedrooms, claiming that sleeping in the same room gave them relief and peace of mind. Her eyes flickered to Cole’s bed; she could still hear his sobs from the first day he had been turned into a ghost. She could still see the grief in the eyes of her teammates when Cole had fallen into the clouds that suffocated Ninjago City, she could still hear the wails that echoed across the Bounty. She glanced at Jay’s; the sounds of the Bounty crashing and crumbling hundreds of feet above her head overtook her mind, the sounds of the Ninjas’ panicked screaming haunts her to this day. They feared that death had finally come for them, that there was no way to escape the certain doom decimating the ship beneath their very feet. A flash of light, the Bounty came crashing down around her and her downed mech. 

Pixal’s eyes flickered to- she turned on her heels and briskly stormed away. She continued down the hall, past the empty family room and powered down television; she passed the cleaned kitchen and dining room, barely even used by the two residents that still lived there. Misako had pushed for more hours at the Ninjago Museum of History when she learned that her son had been sent to the Never Realm without so much as a goodbye. She barely saw her from when she gets home moments before dawn to when she leaves around noon. Wu- he barely leaves his meditation room, surrounded by a cloud of spirit smoke so thick Pixal wondered how he could breathe in such a mess. She dropped off trays of food three times every day, yet barely anything was touched. 

Pixal’s sensors started ringing; she had absentmindedly wandered out into the courtyard, past the golden dragon, past the teapot and six abandoned color-coordinated cups, straight towards the mural. There she stood, not in the center of the mural overlooking each of the Ninjas’ major adventures, but by the handprints; each color, each print, still as vibrant as the day they were painted. Her eyes wandered from painting to painting; from the Tornado of Creation to the Realm Crystal above Lloyd’s possessed hands, from Cole’s double portrait during the Day of the Departed to Harumi and Firstbourne. Yet, there was one painting she refused to look at, yet she knew it not only from memory but by heart.  


Pixal can still hear the ice cracking. 

Kai’s screams echoing from below. 

Nya’s sobbing into her hands. 

Pixal can still see, clear as day, Zane glancing down at her. Surrounded by a blizzard of his own making, glowing a neon blue so bright it would make the New Ninjago City look weak in comparison; with tears streaming down his torn apart face, screams being ripped out of his mouth, body convulsing from the power of the Golden Armor, everything seemed to stop for a moment. Zane clenched his mouth shut, silencing his screams, and turned towards her. She, still standing on that rooftop with her father and Nya watching helplessly. Zane’s blue eyes, the same blue as the techno blades by which he had been bequeathed, no longer seemed to be in pain. He mouthed one word and gave her a smile. 

A flash of light. 

The Overlord’s shrieks. 

A wave of arctic cold. 

Ice crackling as it overtook several city blocks, inches thick. 

Silence. 

Pixal didn’t realize she was crying. She didn’t realize her cheeks were soaking from the waterfall of tears until she noticed that the world around her was blurred. She frantically wiped at her face, eventually deciding that it wasn’t worth it. She stepped up to the handprints. Lloyd, Cole, Kai, Zane, Jay, and Nya’s hands were painted in a perfect circle, surrounded by the hands of Skylor, Faith, Dareth, Ronin, Shade, Griffin, Wu, Misako, Neuro, Borg, and finally herself. She smiled as the memory of watching each of the ninja dip their hands into the paint and press it against the finished mural, each relieved to know that they had once again survived against a powerful foe. She saw Jay nuzzle into Nya’s arms, their yin/yang pins glinting in the setting sunlight. She saw Kai and Cole wrap each other in their arms, ear to ear grins plastered on their bruised faces. She saw Lloyd surrounded by his family, feeling at peace as he stared at the mural. She saw Zane watching her with love-filled eyes, holding a hand out towards her. 

_Is this what being a hero is?_ she wondered, placing her hand on top of Zane’s. _Embracing the joyful moments, fearing that they are your last? Feeling the love of a family that she didn’t know if she would ever see them again? Knowing that there was always going to be another threat, stronger than the last? Knowing that one day, there would be a battle that they could not win._

The bracelet, once belonging to Nya with its gold band engraved with dragons and rubies shining like Kai’s fire, started to beep. Passed down from Samurai to Samurai, Pixal knew that she would keep the sigil of Samurai X to her heart. Coordinates and a summary of the crime appeared in a hologram; three inmates were attempting to escape Kryptarium Prison. With a few clicks on the screen, the blue Samurai Mech roared out of the cavern deep within the mountain and landed gracefully behind her. Pixal took one last look at the mural, climbed into the cockpit, and disappeared into the sapphire sky.


	10. Spectral Love

Kai hated this forsaken temple. He hated these ghosts, he hated the threat of drowning by the spectral master of the house, and he hated seeing the fear in his teammates’ and his boyfriend’s eyes. First, they lost one of the two copies of the Scroll of Airjitzu to Morro in Stiix. Second; Kai had to give up everything in his pockets to that thief Ronin for information and to escape the strangle-weeds that were suffocating him. Third, the team was now stranded and locked inside a haunted, desolate, crumbling temple with the ghost of Master Yang trying to kill them.

After barely escaping a flooded room from a stupid painting of a boat, coughing up water, all Kai wanted to do was take on Yang all by himself, rip the scroll from his ghostly hands, and get his family out of here. Yet Cole had the brilliant idea of tying each other together so that they couldn’t be separated within the ancient winding halls. Kai was in front, followed by Zane then Jay, with Cole at the end of the line. As they wandered through the endless halls, Zane suddenly gave a high pitched yelp, crying out Morro’s name.

Through the fear of seeing their possessed friend within the temple, Cole and Kai led the charge after him with Zane and Jay stumbling and tripping behind them as they struggled to keep up. Down down down they ran, desperate to keep their eyes on the retreating ghostly figure in front of them. Then, a dead-end; Kai skidded to a stop, then felt Cole stumble into his back, then Jay into him, finally Zane squished the entire group against a ladder leading to the attic of the temple.

Each ninja climbed up the rickety ladder and into the surprisingly empty attic, slowly approaching the still figure of Lloyd with his back turned to them. Kai reached a trembling hand outwards, but a flash of light caused them to stumble back blindly with a loud cry. When the dancing lights finally blinked away from their eyes, in Lloyd’s place was the floating spectral figure of Master Yang looking down at them.

“As iron sharpens iron, you four have sharpened each other. You have passed the test, seeing this through to the end to reap the benefit of the reward.” As Yang handed Kai the scroll of Airjitzu, Jay suddenly cried out as their hands started to become transparent. Kai felt cold, losing feeling in his arms and feet.

The clock started to chime. One ring echoed through their chests. The group stumbled through the halls, stumbling over their transparent feet. Kai couldn’t feel his legs. Two rings; two floors to go. Three rings, Kai couldn’t feel his lower half. Four rings; they had somehow made it to the main stairwell, tripping down the steps. Five rings; Cole cried out as the scroll was knocked from his hands. Kai felt the rope become lighter. Six rings; they burst through the doors and collapsed onto the ground at the base of the stairwell, embracing the warmth of the sun on their faces. Kai’s hands were shaking.

Kai sat up and looked around, feeling a cold rock drop into his stomach. “Where’s Cole?”

“Don’t worry, I got the scroll!” Cole called, but his voice sounded off. It sounded like an echo, as if he…

Kai wanted to faint. He… he could see through his beau, his dear earth ninja was…

“You didn’t make it out in time,” Jay murmured.

Kai stepped up to Cole, tears in both of their eyes. Cole fell to his knees, staring at his spectral hands as the scroll rolled onto the ground at Kai’s feet. “I’m a.. _ghost.”_ His voice cracked, burying his face into his hands as he shuddered and sobbed. The echoes of Yang’s laughter filled the courtyard, a permanent reminder of the risk of being a ninja.

***

It had only been a few days since the unfortunate visit to Yang’s stupid temple and Cole’s transformation into a ghost. Kai had tried to keep their relationship as normal as before, but Cole had become… distant. He was quieter, more reserved, and… he wasn’t the same anymore. Kai still loved him, he would still do anything for him, but he knew that Cole needed time to grieve.

Kai would check in on him every couple of hours, ask if he needed anything or if he needed any company, but Cole would just shake his spectral head and murmur that he was fine. As he would walk away, he would remember how cold and empty he felt as his physical body vanished beneath him. _He just needed time,_ Kai kept repeating. _He just needed space._

As he walked back down the hallway of the Destiny’s Bounty 2, he could hear Cole and Nya talking from his bedroom. “In case you haven’t heard, I’m a ghost!” Cole snapped, yet there was no malice in his voice. Just… exhaustion. “Don’t tell me we can fix this because we can’t. Trust me. This is just… who I am now.”

Kai poked his head around the doorframe, just in time to see Cole flop backwards onto his bed. Nya, in her new Water Ninja Gi, stood beside him with a familiar look on her face, one that Kai new well. He would always get that look whenever he doubted himself; whether that be through training, blacksmithing, piloting or even cooking. Nya would look at him, a storm cloud of thoughts electrifying behind her eyes, and she would coax him through his frustrations. Cole, it appeared, would be her newest target.

Nya sat down on the bed and said, “Sensei told us that our paths in life are never a straight line, that we would take roads that we never expected nor perhaps even wanted to take. Take me for instance; I was perfectly happy with being Samurai X, an identity that I created on my own, but now I’m training to become a Water Ninja. Even though I am horrible at it, I’ve grown up watching you and the others train for the last several years and one thing that I know is-“ With a bright grin on her face, she jumped to her feet, raised a fist into the air, and cried out, “Ninja never quit!”

A look of contemplation crossed Cole’s face, his eyes searched as thoughts raged through his mind. He looked up at Nya, “But I’m not a ninja anymore, I’m a ghost!”

“You’re still a ninja, whether you’re a ghost or not. But what matters is what you think. Kai and I can tell you anything and everything in the world, but it won’t matter unless you believe it. I think this is something you have to answer on your own.”

Kai took in a deep breath, sensing the lull in the conversation. He knocked on the doorframe, catching their attention, and said, “Misako is going to be debriefing us about the next clues in a few moments.”

“We’ll be there in a little bit,” Nya replied.

Kai couldn’t help but smile at her, seeing the amazing young woman she was growing into. “Oh, and sis, that color suits you well.”

Nya beamed, “Thanks, it’s my favorite color!”

Cole stood up, probably the first time in several days, and said, “No, Kai and Nya, thank you.” Cole attempted to give Nya a hug but ended up floating through her, causing her to shudder from the cold air. He gave a sheepish smile, then yelped when Nya gave him an air hug.

With a blissful smile, the pair broke apart and walked with Kai towards the debriefing room. Kai felt Cole’s hand over his, the cold was nearly unbearable, but for Cole Kai would do anything for him.

***

Kai was sure that his grip on the railing of the Destiny’s Bounty would crack the wood beneath his fingers from how terrified he was. The combination of the hurricane-like storm shaking and rocking the boat, to the realization that Cole had been on his own for the majority of the night, to watch his beau fight the spectral sensei of the airjitzu temple, Kai didn’t know which was worse. He called out to the master of earth, but his voice was swept away by the wind. His eyes flickered from the battle far below to the rift above their heads, shifting and morphing as it got closer to closing.

“Cole! The rift!” Kai screamed, using every ounce of his energy to carry his voice through the winds. “You have to pass through the rift!!”

Cole held his hand out to Yang; Kai couldn’t read their lips but he felt his heart skip when his beau glanced up at him. Cole and Yang disappeared into an airjitzu vortex, spinning past the Bounty towards the Rift; but, about three-fourths of the way up the vortex started to shift and wobble, as if there was a struggle going on underneath the glowing surface. A figure was suddenly thrown from the vortex as it fell back towards the temple. A flash of light. The Bounty was blasted backward as the engines sputtered and gave out.

The Bounty dove headfirst towards the floating island, screams overtook the dying winds as everyone onboard struggled to hold on to anything and everything. Kai closed his eyes and curled up on the deck, praying that- he didn’t have time to pray. The Bounty crashed and ground into the floating earth, the metal and wood screeched and groaned under the impact. Kai was thrown backward, smacking his head against the deck before feeling himself collide with who he could only assume to be Lloyd. A flash of green from the corner of his eye, then a white light as his head struck the wooden deck with a sickening thud for a second time.

The ship settled into the earth and fell silent, the only sounds were the groaning of the five ninja and two senseis as they slowly struggled to their feet. Kai’s head was spinning, he felt as if he was going to lose his dinner as he leaned against the mast. Nya suddenly appeared beside him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

“Is everyone alright?” Misako called out. Everyone sounded off with groans, whines, and winces as they dismounted off from the deck. Kai’s eyes searched everywhere for his spectral beau, but only silence replied.

“Where’s Cole?” Lloyd murmured, fear spiking in his chest.

“Did he make it?” Nya asked, glancing at Kai.

“He… is he gone?” Jay cried, gripping at his hair.

“No, he- he wouldn’t. He couldn’t!” Kai cried, curling into Nya’s shoulder. It couldn’t be. There was no way he could lose his beau twice in a month’s time. Fate couldn’t be that cruel… right?

“I would never do that to you.”

Gasps filled the air; Kai looked up from his tear-soaked hands and there, standing before him like the angel he was, was Cole. With a bright grin on his face and a strange glowing green scar on the left side of his face, wrapping around those gorgeous golden eyes, Cole couldn’t look better. Kai let go of Nya, stumbling forward step by step, reaching his hand out to caress his face.

Yet, Kai’s hand froze an inch away. Was it really him, or was Kai dead from the Bounty’s crash? Cole lifted a hand and placed it ever so softly on Kai’s cheek, tears springing up in his dazzling eyes.

“It’s me, Kai.”

Softly, like a gentle breeze, Kai’s hand brushed Cole’s cheek, feeling the warmth he had long since missed. The master of earth gave a heavy, contented sigh and nuzzled into Kai’s palm, relishing in the heat the Fire ninja had. Kai choked out a watery laugh. “It’s you, it’s really you.”

Cole took Kai’s hand and pressed a soft kiss into his palm, murmuring so quietly even he could barely hear it, “I promise I’ll never leave you. Not even death will keep us apart.”


	11. Pixal's Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've seen many stories talking about Zane's first moments, but I have never seen one about Pixal. After chatting with some friends on Discord, I came up with this prompt.

Darkness. She was lost in darkness. Who was she? She did not know. She did not know where she was, who she was, or even what she was. A notification appeared in front of her.

Memories: No Known Memories Detected. 

Identification: P.I.X.A.L.

Primary Interactive X-Ternal Assistant Lifeform. 

Identification Gender: Female Assigned

Identification Number: Sixteenth Adaptation

Version 16.1

Creator: Cyrus Borg

Uploading: Body Diagram and Information

Uploading: Miscellaneous Information 

Battery Power: 100%- Charging

**Sensory Test:**  
_Gross Motor Function-_

Pixal felt something strange coming from a part of her body, something lifting to her right- then her left, then from a lower right part of her body, then the lower left part. She felt where her consciousness was move from side to side. Arms, left and right. Legs, left and right. Head. Neck. Torso. Abdomen. 

**Sensory Test:**  
_Fine Motor Function-_

She felt smaller movements coming from the extended parts of her body. Forty small twitches, flutterings, curlings, and stretching. She felt part of her head open and close, clicking softly. Fingers, left and right. Hands, left and right. Toes, left and right. Feet, left and right. Mouth, located on the head. Teeth, thirty-two total. Nose, located above the mouth.

**Sensory Test:**  
_Breathing and Swallowing-_

Pixal noticed her chest rising and falling, a soft nearly silent sound exiting from her nose. Breathing. She felt saliva build up in her mouth, she felt her throat constrict and move on its own as the salvia vanished. Throat, located inside the neck and mouth. Tongue, located in the mouth. 

**Sensory Test:**  
_Hearing-_

Clicking. There was frantic clicking off to her right. Quiet murmuring, a male voice, repeating the same word again and again. “Please, please, please!” She could hear beeping surrounding her, constant and high pitched. Humming, whirring, clacking and tapping, it was becoming too much. Ears, located on sides of the head. 

**Sensory Test:**  
_Sight-_

Pixal was blinded. A sharp squeak escaped from her mouth as her sight started to solidify. Blurred shapes came to focus; machinery, wires, glowing screens surrounded her, but it was still too blurry to understand. A figure blocked the lights and machinery; a man with messed up jet black hair, black thick-rimmed glasses, and kind eyes looked at her. Her sight focused on him, feeling a sense of calmness in her chest and mind. She knew she could trust him, though she didn’t know why at the moment. Her sight slowly crept away from the man, moving from machinery to machinery, down and up the numerous wires, to the far distance that had finally become clear. She felt a movement around her sight, sending her into a moment of brief darkness. Eyes, located above the nose on head. Eyelids, surrounding the eyes. Blinking. 

**Sensory Test:**  
_Speech-_

The man smiled at her. His mouth moved as sound flowed from his throat and entered her ears- hearing, she understood. “Good morning, Pixal, can you hear me? Can you blink twice-” he blinked his eyes consecutively, “if you can hear me.”

Blink. Blink?

Did she do it right?

The man grinned, disappearing for another moment or two. More clicking could be heard from her right side. He returned a moment later, “My dear, can you speak? Any sound, any word, anything will do.”

Pixal opened her mouth, feeling something moving within her throat. Speak? She moved her tongue, feeling her throat move and constrict again and again. Something pushed upwards from her chest, forcing a strange sound out of her mouth. 

The man slapped his hands together, causing Pixal to jump in surprise. He immediately covered his mouth as his face turned a different color. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

Startle? _Input noted._ Pixal’s eyes started to look at her body. She lifted her arms and moved her hands, curling and clenching her fingers. Her eyes trailed down her body towards her legs. She lifted her knees and wiggled her toes, turning her head a little to the left. 

Pixal opened her mouth once again, catching the man’s gaze. _“…ih…”_

He blinked but didn’t say anything. 

_“Puh…”_ She started getting frustrated _(input: emotion). “Puh… ih…”_ Her hands clenched and shook. _“Puh… icks… uhl...?”_

A clear liquid started leaking from the man’s eyes, she was worried (input: emotion) that she had done something wrong. “You just said your first word!” he exclaimed. “You just said your name! Yes, yes its Pixal!” A strange bouncy sound escaped his mouth, and it made her feel happy _(input: emotion)._ Her eyes traveled across the man’s body, noticing that he was sitting in a chair that was on wheels. The man would move between her and the raised bed she was laying on to the monitors at the base of the bed. 

The man returned to her side once again, placing his hands on her arm. Her white arm decorated with purple lines and the occasional purple dot. The lines seemed to glow and pulse with a soft white light coming from beneath the surface. How strange, she silently wondered. “My dear Pixal, my name is Cyrus Borg. I am your creator, and I know that this is probably overwhelming, but I want you to know that I already love you and I am going to do everything I can to make sure you live your best life.”

Somehow, Pixal knew he was telling the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might make a part two of this


	12. Project: Black Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Okay, this one is going to need a little background.**
> 
> **A few days ago, I decided to reread my old stories on FFN and discovered that my favorite story had some potential to be rewritten. Things have been changed from the original story such as Point of View (first person to third), the name of the OC and her background, and how the scenes play out. I may come back and add more to this chapter, or continue it in a whole new chapter. If you recognize the story without it being named, let me say that I'd be impressed beyond belief.**
> 
> **Kali: Wife to Zane, android, no elemental powers.**
> 
> _Trigger Warnings: Electrocution and Mind Control_

_Scene 1- the Kidnapping_

Zane and Kali stood side by side outside of the abandoned factory on the outskirts of Ninjago City, sensing their family watching from the shadows. Kali and Zane held tight to each other, their bodies resisting stepping into what was certainly a trap for the pair, yet the note from their enemy remained in the forefront of their minds. 

_“An army is ready to conquer Ninjago. Surrender the two Nindroids to the steel factory on Westborough and the army shall not march. Bring no weapons. Bring no backup. Either demands are met or Ninjago shall fall.”_

They had to stop Cryptor here and now; he had haunted their family for years now, determined to kidnap them and turn the pair into soldiers strong enough to conquer all of Ninjago. Kai, Jay, Cole, and Lloyd kept their distance, ready to pounce on Cryptor the moment he entered their view. 

Zane and Kali took one last look at each other and entered the factory, their footsteps echoing through the deathly silent rooms. They glanced everywhere, jumping at every noise no matter how small until they ended up in the main factory area. Massive machines covered in layers of dust, heavy cranes and magnets loomed and gently swung from the high-vaulted ceilings, piles of steel beams lay tucked against the edges of the room. Large tarps cover more pieces of machinery, yet there was no dust covering them. Zane found that odd only for a moment, his attention was stolen when the stone-cold voice echoed around them. 

“So, the two of you decided to come forth?” Cryptor purred, his voice curling around the pair like a snake. “We knew you could not hide from us forever; your goodie-two-shoes behavior is your weakness.”

Zane’s grip tightened on Kali’s hand, becoming enraged. “Show yourself, you coward!” he spat, feeling his ice building in his hands. A spotlight illuminated the pair with a boom, the Ninja hid behind machinery and old boxes, still waiting for Cryptor to reveal himself. 

Heavy footsteps grew closer as glowing red eyes glared at them from the outskirts of the light. The light was barely shown on his face, revealing razor-sharp teeth and a blood-curdling sneer. Zane released Kali’s hand, firing a blast of ice at their tormentor. Cryptor sidestepped with ease as a wave of whirring and groaning crescendoed throughout the factory. The cloth shuddered and dropped to the floor as a flood of robots, each dressed and built in the exact same way, stormed towards the pair. Zane started sending blasts of ice at the storming droids, freezing several at a time; Kali flicked her arms down, her twin blades erupting from her forearms, appearing in her hands as they grew into full-sized swords. 

Kali stabbed, slashed, decapitated, kicked, and punched as the crowd grew closer. Zane shot blasts of ice, created stalagmites and shot them through their chests, keeping his back against his wife’s, but it was not enough. The nindroids closed in, encircling the two within an ever-closing circle; several leapt forth and restrained their hands, Kali’s swords withdrew into her arms once more. 

Kai, Cole, Jay, and Lloyd started to sneak towards the outskirts of the army, only to freeze when a bone-chillingly familiar voice echoed through the hundreds of droids. 

“They actually came. I must admit, Cryptor, that I am surprised it worked.”

Zane and Kali froze their struggling, their eyes widening in fear, horror, and realization. “It can’t be,” he whispered, his voice barely louder than a breath. Kali started to silently sob, her body shaking as the voice of the Overlord hissed into their ears. 

“Oh, but it is, Ninja. I cannot be killed. I am darkness, I am destruction, I am the yin to the world.” The Overlord’s voice echoed through the crowd of nindroids, their scarlet eyes flashed when he possessed it. “It is time for _Project: Black Ice.”_

The nindroids' eyes suddenly started glowing blue, Zane and Kali started thrashing even as the droids holding them down gripped at their hair. The Ninja struggled to fight their way through the pack but couldn’t make a dent due to the amount and shifting crowds in front of them. The Nindroids felt the surge of electricity enter their systems, passed on from their compatriots, underneath their masks a sneer grew. With a gleam, they grabbed Zane and Kali’s throats, not tight enough to crush their windpipes but enough to halt their breathing; the charge of electricity shot into their systems, their bodies shuddering and spazzing, twitching and thrashing under the amused gaze of the Overlord. 

Zane and Kali went limp, hanging from the droids’ unrelenting grip, though they were still partially conscious. Kali could barely hear the Overlord command for them to be taken onto the hovercopter waiting outside; tears continued to drip down her white cheeks as she and her beloved husband were dragged away from their family still struggling to save them. 

The stampede of nindroids fled from the building, dispersing into the night as Zane and Kali were loaded onto the copter, still occasionally twitching from the surge of power flowing through them. A single nindroid with violet eyes climbed on after Cryptor, hanging onto the doorway as the Ninja sprinted out of the factory with their weapons drawn. 

Cryptor and the Overlord watched as the hovercopter took to the skies. Cryptor clicked his tongue and shook his head, turning to face Zane and Kali laying on the floor. “You broke both of the demands. To think we were going to go easy on you when we got to your new home.” He leaned out of the hovercopter’s doorway and called down, “Farewell Ninjas! Say goodbye to your beloved friends!” 

Zane and Kali disappeared into the night, eventually fading into blissful unconsciousness against each other’s sides, unaware of their fate awaiting them. 

 

_Scene 2- Corruption_

Zane woke with a raging headache and the world spinning around him, he felt as if he would lose his lunch at any instant. He started to reach up to hold his head but something was holding him down. He couldn’t move his arms or his legs, but he could move his upper and lower torso just enough to see that he was strapped down to a metal table in a stone-lined room. Zane could see that the panels on his forearms and his chest were wide open and that the covers for his panels had been removed, leaving no trace anywhere. He rolled his head to the side, spotting Kali only a few feet away from him in the same position; her head rolled towards her chest as she awoke from her forced slumber, her eyes grew wide in fear. Flickering from her vulnerable interior parts to the straps holding her down, Kali’s struggling became frantic, whines escaped her lips as Zane struggled to calm her down. “Kali! Kali, it’s going to be okay! Our family will rescue us, we’ll be okay!” he pleaded, though fear coursed through his veins. 

The Overlord’s cackle shot through their hearts as he stepped towards them dragging behind a creaky metal cart; on the top, there were two glass cases about six inches tall with a box with red wires laying inside. The boxes were only a few inches wide and tall with a dial on the front, numbers ranging from one through nine; one through three were colored green, four through six were yellow, and seven through nine were a deep red. The four red wires were on each of the sides, occasionally sending out a small flurry of sparks within the glass case. He stood at Zane and Kali’s feet, glancing between the pair as if deciding who he would start with first. The Overlord removed one of the glass cases and picked up the box underneath, the wires swayed with his movement as he made his way to Kali’s right side, his violet eyes gleaming with excitement as his gaze traveled over her exposed wiring, organs, and endoskeleton. Cryptor walked out of the darkness and stood by Kali’s head, holding down her thrashing shoulders as she screamed and cursed the pair. The Overlord forced the box into her chest, nestled on top of her artificial lungs by the top of her cavity.

“One.” 

Kali shrieked, but her voice started to cut in and out, shuddering with endless sobs. 

“Two.”

Her screams silenced, though her face continued to contort in silent agony. Kali’s hands started to convulse, slamming against the table beneath her; her head started to twitch and shake, flailing side to side. 

“Three.” 

Kali’s back arched off of the table, Zane could barely hear himself shriek at Cryptor and the Overlord to stop, tears pouring down his face. Cryptor and the Overlord paid him no mind, no matter how much he begged and pleaded. 

“Four.”

Kali went limp. Her thrashing, her screams, even her breathing seemed to have halted. Her face was frozen; her eyes wide but powered down, dull and gray, with her mouth slightly agape. As Cryptor closed her eyes and put her panel back on her chest, the Overlord wheeled the cart up to Zane’s side and shoved him against the table, slamming his head from the force. Cryptor stood on Zane’s left, grinning from ear to ear as he took the Overlord’s place in holding him down. 

Zane snarled, “What did you do to her?!”

“You don’t need to know,” Cryptor replied, keeping his gaze on the Overlord. 

The Dark Lord picked up the second box and held it above Zane’s open chest, forcing it near the top of his lungs; he grimaced and hissed from the strange intrusion. The Overlord lifted up the red wire on the top of the box, made eye-contact with him, and grinned, “One.”

Zane screamed, but his voice cracked and popped; he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t say anything. 

**[WARNING: SYSTEM OVERRIDE TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT]**

**[WARNING: FOREIGN CODE INVADING SYSTEM]**

**[WARNING: FOREIGN CODE IN VOCAL CORDS]**

“Two.”

Zane felt his arms and legs flail involuntarily, his hands trembled and pounded against the surface of the table. What was happening to him?! Zane tried to scream, but his voice would not respond to his commands.

**[WARNING: SYSTEM OVERRIDE FIFTY PERCENT]**

**[WARNING: FOREIGN CODE IN MOTOR FUNCTIONS]**

**[WARNING: LOSS OF FUNCTION IN LIMBS]**

“Three.”

Zane’s vision started to fade in and out, something was invading his mind; his memories started to fade, his mind started to shift, his identity… _what was his identity?_ He couldn’t feel his body, he felt… detached. As if his body wasn’t his anymore. 

**[WARNING: SYSTEM OVERRIDE SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT]**

**[WARNING: FOREIGN CODE IN MEMORY DRIVE]**

**[WARNING: FOREIGN CODE IN HARD-DRIVE]**

The last wire was pinched between the Overlord’s fingers, twisted and curled with amusement. Zane could barely feel anything in his body… _was Zane his name?_ It felt… strange. Everything felt strange. His vision faded in and out, his memories felt distant and fuzzy; who were the men surrounding him?

“The last wire. The most important one if I had to choose. Can you hear me, nindroid? Or have you lost control over your own body and mind?” The violet-eyed droid shrugged, “You won’t remember this anyway. Farewell, Zane.” The last wire was plugged into Zane’s power source, directly in the center. A flash of light, a wave of cold shot through his systems, and his vision flickered to black. 

**[SYSTEM OVERRIDE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT]**

**[REBOOTING]**

**[REBOOTING]**

**[UPLOADING PROJECT: BLACK ICE]**

**USERNAME: [REDACTED]**

**USER IDENTIFICATION: _EMPEROR_**

**VERSION 2.1**

**PROGRAM: BLACK ICE PROTOCOL**

**_-INITIATE PROGRAM-_**

Emperor opened his eyes, flinching from the bright light hanging above his head. Emperor. His name was Emperor. His wife was Empress. Emperor and Empress were commanders of the Great Army, destined to rule over Ninjago and destroy those who stood in their way.


	13. Project: Black Ice (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This may become something larger. Be warned, it is leaning into _Ice Chapter_ Territory.**

A week has passed since Emperor and Empress first awoke in the medical bay of the fortress. Their commanders, General Cryptor and the Overlord, told the pair that they had been injured and captured in battle against their enemy, the Ninja. The Ninja had tried to corrupt them, forcing them to join their sides before Cryptor and the nindroid army rescued the pair from their grasps. 

Emperor and Empress were locked in the medical bay, kept under a watchful guard as Cryptor continued to tinker with their wiring and the occasional sparking and screaming fits the pair encountered. Empress was the first to encounter a surge of pain, grabbing at her head and shrieking as sparks flew from her chest and joints between her neck and shoulder. Emperor had to hold her down, murmuring that they were safe, they were no longer under the control of the Ninja, that they were together once again.

Later that same day, Emperor had a breakdown, clawing at his chest, tearing his clothes as screams were ripped from his throat. His eyes flickered from a vibrant red to a sapphire blue as he shrieked and screamed. Empress hugged herself to his chest as he clawed, gashed, and tore at her back, grimacing and yelping until Cryptor was able to ease his pain, allowing the two to slump to the ground weak and exhausted. By the next morning, as dawn’s rays seeped through the small windows near the ceiling, Emperor and Empress had passed out still wrapped in each other’s arms, her back had been patched up by Cryptor as they fitfully slept. 

It took three days before Emperor and Empress could be released from the medical bay, though they were still kept under constant surveillance from the nindroid army posted throughout the halls. There were still moments of suffering; screaming and tearing at their hair, scratching, digging, and clawing at their chests and throats, or collapsing to the ground. When this happened, their partner would hold them down or throw themselves in front of their frantic hands to protect the one having the breakdown as the nearby nindroid would work on tinkering and fixing the malfunction. By the sixth day, the fits had settled down and passed; Emperor and Empress began their training to lead the army for the Overlord. 

By the end of the seventh day, after a lengthy sparring session between Emperor and Empress, Cryptor stepped into the training room and cleared his throat. Emperor and Empress stood straight and at attention, facing their commander with their weapons tucked into the sheaths on their backs. Cryptor couldn’t help but grin at the sight of his two most powerful warriors under his command. “You two have been cleared by the Overlord to begin your first mission. Our first target to be reclaimed is the village of Ignacia about fifteen miles from here. It’s a small village with a population of fewer than sixty people, an easy target to take back.”

Empress furrowed her eyebrows. “Reclaim?”

Cryptor grew sad, hanging his head low to hide his smile. “Yes, Empress. Our dear Overlord had been banished from his throne, his spirit forced to reside in a robotic body like ours. Those Ninja protect the fakes on the throne; our mission is to return the Overlord to his rightful place, to capture the Golden Ninja and drain his powers, and to return Ninjago to its glory under our control.”

“What is the plan, General?” Emperor asked. 

“You two shall lead a squadron of one hundred and fifty nindroids into the village. The warriors shall be dispersed across the village as you two shall find the mayor; threaten them, injure them, do whatever you need to to get the town under our control, but a public execution would be the last resort. Thirty nindroids should leave with you after control is taken. You are to demand loyalty, demand the surrendering of any weapons, and the surrendering of any spare metal and wiring. Once the deal has been made, you shall return here for any repairs and make a report. It is time for you to rest, tomorrow the mission shall begin at dawn.”

“We understand, General,” Empress said as the pair bowed deep and low. 

Cryptor dismissed the pair with a wave, they walked past him and returned to their room where their beds awaited. Empress pulled her hair out of its loose ponytail and redid it into a tight bun near the top of her head. Emperor opened a nearby drawer and removed a long cord, plugging one end into a nearby plug while the other end went into the port on the back of her neck. Her head jolted to the side, her eyes glowed a bright red while her body stiffened from the power flowing into her power source. Emperor had the rest of the night to plan as his co-leader and wife recharged; Cryptor had explained that he did not need to charge, that his power source was self-powering. Emperor looked over the plans of attack, the map of the village, and the profiles for each of the ninja. 

**Kai Smith:**  
_Master of Fire_  
Attack: Offensive  
Weapon: Swords  
Weakness: Loyalty to Team, Sister Nya Smith, Emotional

**Jay Walker-Gordon:**  
_Master of Lightning_  
Attack: Defensive  
Weapon: Nunchucks  
Weakness: Easily Overpowered, Emotional

**Cole Brookstone:**  
_Master of Earth_  
Attack: Offensive  
Weapon: Scythe  
Weakness: Reliant on Brute Strength

**Nya Smith:**  
_Samurai X_  
Attack: Offensive  
Weapon: Swords  
Weakness: Failure, Brother Kai Smith, Protective over Team

**Lloyd Garmadon:**  
_Master of Energy, Golden Ninja_  
Attack: Defensive  
Weapon: Energy  
Weakness: Reliant on Powers, Easily Startled

Emperor stared at the pictures of each of the Ninja, feeling something fuzzy in the back of his mind as he stared at the profiles. Something about them felt familiar, could he hear laughter? Was it joyful or mocking? He could hear their muffled voices, but Emperor could not understand what they were saying. 

_“The Ninja led a surprise attack on you and Empress,”_ Cryptor told them as he tinkered with Emperor’s left arm. _“It was supposed to be a quick mission to Terra Village, just enough time to gather supplies, but the Ninja descended from their flying ship; they tried to change you, change your mind. They wanted to use you like servants, robots for their pleasure and weapons for their battles._

_“We found you two as soon as we could, rescuing you from their grasps, but they will pull tricks on you. They will call you things, names that are not yours. They will plead and beg, calling you “family” or “part of the team”, but you do not belong there. You belong with us.”_

_“What names do they call us?”_ Emperor had asked, cocking his head. He flinched from the tinkering, giving a quick hiss through his clenched teeth. 

_“They call you Zane, their brother, their teammate. They call Empress Kali, their sister, their teammate. Do not believe them. You are Emperor and Empress, you always have been and you always will be. They speak lies; they are human, it’s what they do. We are built the same, we are androids, we are superior to them. We can crush their rebellion, Emperor. We just need to get the Overlord onto the throne and into his body.”_

_“I understand.”_

Emperor shook his head, returning to his present state of mind. He glanced over at Empress, still charging on the bedside, his heart warmed at her sight. He would protect her, as he knew she would protect him. He turned back to the plans, becoming engrossed once more until the Sun rose over the horizon. 

A nindroid opened the door, locking eyes with him. “It is time.”

Emperor removed the charger from Empress and helped her to her feet. He gave a quick overview of his plan, the paths they needed to take, and who to look out for when the Ninja inevitably attack. The pair followed the nindroid through the halls, eventually ending up in a massive factory floor where the army of nindroids lined up in ten even rows waited for their command. Cryptor and the Overlord beamed as Emperor and Empress took their place at the front. 

“Reclaim the village, order their allegiance, gather the metal, and capture the Golden One,” the Overlord hissed. 

With a salute, the army marched towards Ignacia.


	14. Project: Black Ice (Part 3)

Ignacia was fifteen miles away from the Overlord’s stronghold. Emperor and Empress left at dawn with the army marching behind; any traveler they encountered screamed and sprinted in the opposite direction, but Emperor and Empress did not change course. They remained emotionless, stoic, and true to their path towards the unsuspecting town. It took several hours for the army to arrive, but due to their endurance and power cores, they were unaffected by the long distance. About a mile outside of the small village, Empress noticed a small shop on top of a nearby hill, surrounded by rice fields; rumbling about four stories above, there was a red and gold flying ship, decorated with a dragon head on the bow. 

Empress felt a strange pain at the back of her mind, gripping at her black and silver hood. Something about that shop, that ship, it felt familiar… but something was blocking it from understanding. Emperor gripped her shoulder, his face also twisted into one of pain. 

“Should… should we… examine that shop?” Empress hissed, her head twitching. 

“That is not… of our concern,” Emperor grunted, leading her away. 

As the army stormed away, on the ship hovering above the blacksmith's shop, a trio of men kept exchanging a pair of binoculars, arguing about the crowd in the distance. 

“Maybe it’s a parade?” Jay said in a hopeful tone, though he knew it was not a good sign. 

“No way, they have swords and they’re wearing all black, that can’t be good,” Cole grumbled. 

“Cole, you wear all black.”

“But my black is vibrant and matched with bright colors. Those are just plain black and purple.”

“That makes no sense-“

“Guys, focus!” Lloyd snapped. He pressed a finger to his commlink tucked in his ear and called down to Kai and Nya in the shop below. “Kai, Nya, come in. We’ve got trouble at three o’clock, looks like an army heading towards the town.” 

Jay and Cole lowered the anchor, waiting for the confirmation that Kai and Nya were ready before returning it to the side of the Bounty. The pair scrambled on deck as Lloyd took to the helm, pushing the thruster lever forward as the Bounty roared to life. The group of Ninjas and Samurai gathered their weapons, pulling their masks down and putting their helmets on as the ship raced towards the nearby village. By the time the anchor had set near the outskirts of the town, the army had already spread around the town gathering the families that had been in their homes while the two leaders marched inside the mayor’s building with their silver katanas drawn. 

Inside, Emperor and Empress stormed past the secretary, ignoring her cries of protest, before kicking down the door to the mayor’s office. Mayor Johnson was a thin, frail-looking woman with wire-like curled hair and a pair of glasses hanging off of the bridge of her nose. Though her body looked frail and ready to break, her eyes were bright and full of anger. 

“Who are you?” she snapped. “What right do you have breaking down my door? Don’t you recognize mahogany when you see it?!”

Emperor and Empress marched forward; he slammed a scroll onto her desk as they distorted their voices, growling in unison, “We demand the village’s allegiance to the Lost King, we demand all scrap metal and wires, and we demand information about the Ninja.”

“I will show no fear to intruders,” Johnson replied, not even glancing at the paper on her desk. 

Emperor and Empress’s eyes flashed a furious crimson. Repeating once again in unison, “We demand the village’s allegiance to the Lost King, we demand all scrap metal and wires, and we demand information about the Ninja.”

“Never. Ignacia is a proud village, we will not bow to you or your leader.”

Emperor and Empress split apart, each marching around the sides of the desk, grabbing the mayor by her arms with an unbreakable grip. Johnson was dragged out of her chair, carrying the mayor outside to where the crowd was uneasily waiting. 

Empress held the blade against Johnson’s neck, once again shouting out in unison, “We demand the village’s allegiance to the Lost King, we demand all scrap metal and wires, and we demand information about the Ninja!”

A rush of hushed murmurs rippled through the crowd, several people glanced at the Bounty at the edge of town. 

Emperor shouted, “Our soldiers will remain in this village whether you agree or not! We can be peaceful, or we can be violent! Kneel for the Lost King, or suffer the consequences!”

Empress pressed the blade further into Johnson’s skin, a trickle of blood escaped as she gave a sharp hiss. “Last chance, mayor. We demand the village’s allegiance to the Lost King, we demand all scrap metal and wires, and we demand information about the Ninja.”

Johnson eyes flickered from villager to villager, watching her in fear and terror. She glared at Emperor as a sigh escaped her lips. “I will agree to two of your demands; we will surrender and we will give up our metal, but we will not tell you about the Ninja.” Johnson grinned, “I know the Ninja, they will stop you. You and your ‘Lost King’ shall never rule Ninjago.”

Emperor and Empress exchanged an unamused glance, giving a signal to the soldiers as they dragged the mayor back inside to sign the scroll pledging allegiance. The soldiers shoved and commanded the villagers to gather their spare metal while the thirty assigned guards surrounded the main building. Kai, Jay, Cole, Lloyd, and Nya looked at each other as they hid on a nearby rooftop, gripping their weapons tight. 

“Who was that?” Kai asked. 

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen them before,” Lloyd said. 

Nya paled, “You don’t think it could be Zane and Kali, right?”

“Oh, don’t make me say it,” Jay groaned. 

“Two new warriors working with that nindroid army a week after Zane and Kali go missing? Seems too suspicious to me.”

“What do we do?” 

“We’ll wait until they leave town, then we’ll ambush them, try to snap some sense back into them.” Nya turned to Jay, Cole, and Lloyd, “Which way did they enter town?”

Jay said, “From the South main road.”

“Kai, can you take the Bounty back to Four Weapons? Meet us by the grove about two miles down the road, we’ll be hiding in the trees.”

With a nod, the group split apart; Kai climbed back up the anchor’s chain as the rest of the team leaped from rooftop to rooftop, though every fiber of their body pleaded for them to help the sieged village, but they had to save their family first. Nya leaped into the first line of trees, hiding within the foliage; Jay took the one about two down from her; Lloyd was across the dirt road with Cole two trees beside him. About five minutes passed before Kai came sprinting by, hissing that the smaller group of soldiers were marching towards them.

The Ninja and Samurai waited with bated breath as the nindroids thundered towards them; the two leaders in front beamed with pride at their completed mission. Nya waited until the leaders had just passed by Kai before she launched her attack, leaping from the tree with her swords drawn. She struck down two nindroids in a single swipe of her blades, decapitating the droids before they could even sense her. Jay, Cole, Lloyd, and Kai flew out from the trees, striking down the surprised army. Nya caught a glimpse of the two leaders spinning on their heels, removing their twin silver katanas in a single move. 

“Golden Ninja located,” the man said, his voice still distorted. 

“Capture Golden Ninja,” the woman echoed before sprinting through the crowd of soldiers. 

Nya ducked underneath a swipe of a nindroid’s blade, pushing off of the ground as she charged towards the woman rushing towards Lloyd. She ground her teeth, shut her eyes, and rammed into the woman, sending her crashing into the tree. The woman’s head snapped back with a sickening crack, stunned as she sunk to the ground. 

“Empress!” the man screamed, locked in battle against Cole and Kai. 

Nya, with her blade still drawn, cautiously approached the woman. “Kali?” she asked. “Kali? Please, is that you?”

_“wHo… iS… KaLi?”_ the woman croaked, her voice snapping, popping, and crackling between the distortion and her true voice. 

“Kali, please, you’re our sister! You and Zane-!” Nya blinked and found a blade pressed at her throat, the woman’s blazing red eyes gleamed with excitement. She feared to swallow, sensing how close the blade was to her fragile skin. 

“The Gen-General was right! _You-You did try to change us!”_ the woman shrieked, her face twitching underneath the mask. “You want-wanted us as servants! You-You wanted to con-control us!”

“Kali, what are you talking about?!” Nya cried, stumbling backward. 

“I am not Ka-Kali!” she shouted, punching Nya to the ground. Her head twitched and sparked, her body contorted and jolted as she held the blade high above her head. 

A voice screamed out to the Samurai’s right, leaping in front of the descending blade; Jay caught the woman’s blade in the holes of his nunchuck’s chains, grunting and straining against her growing strength. Lloyd leaped onto her back, yanking and struggling against her mask. She screamed and flailed, yanking desperately to free her sword from Jay’s chains, crying out for Emperor’s aid. 

Empress stumbled backward into the tree, slamming Lloyd against the trunk over and over, kicking Jay in his stomach with a heavy grunt. He dropped his nunchucks, gripping his stomach as her sword was freed from the now loose chains. With one final slam against the tree, Lloyd released his grip and slumped against the trunk as a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth. She cracked her neck and turned to face the barely conscious Lloyd, sheathing her twin blades once more. She leaned down and picked up the weakly struggling Lloyd by the front of his gold and green uniform. _“Cap-Capture Golden N-Ninja.”_

Empress turned and grinned at her Emperor who had knocked Kai and Cole to the ground. She had taken a step towards him when a flash of red caught her eye. A quick _“I’m so sorry, Kali,”_ a gleam of metal, and Empress screamed. The Golden Ninja collapsed at her feet as she continued to shriek and wail, gripping her nearly severed hand as her pain receptors roared across her mind and body. 

Emperor raced towards her, fear blazed in his eyes as the Golden Ninja was scooped up by the Lightning one. Emperor fretted over his beloved as she leaned against the tree once again, hissing and sobbing as she held her limp hand to her chest. He snarled and spun around to wreak havoc on the Ninja and Samurai for harming his wife and destroying the soldiers that had been stationed to guard them, but they had retreated to their ship, taking the Golden Ninja with them. His gaze softened, removing his hood to wrap around her wrist and hand. Emperor pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead and murmured, “Come, Empress, we’ve got a long journey ahead of us.”


	15. Project: Black Ice (Part 4)

The hours dragged by as Emperor and Empress made their solo journey back to the fortress, constantly glancing over their shoulders in fear. Were the Ninja still following them? Would they be kidnapped and held for hostage, or would they attack and finish them off? Empress leaned into Emperor’s shoulder, still blinded from the wound that the Samurai inflicted. Any noise, any laughter, any roar of a car or a wagon caused the pair to hide in the shadows, silent until the noise had passed. The Sun had long since set by the time the pair made it back to the abandoned factory on the outskirts of Hiroshi’s Labyrinth. 

Empress longed to head straight for the medical bay, releasing a soft whine as she willingly walked past, but she knew that they had to give a report on their mission and the loss of their soldiers. Emperor paused outside of the door leading to the planning area where General Cryptor and Commander Overlord spent most of their time; he faced Empress and caressed her cheek, wiping away her tears. “This will be a quick meeting, then I shall fix your wrist,” he promised. “Just hold out a few minutes longer.”

Empress nodded, nuzzling into her husband’s hand, and took in a deep breath. “I’m ready.” The pair opened the double doors and entered the War Room, immediately falling under the unforgiving gaze of the Overlord and Cryptor. The General’s gaze locked onto Empress holding her wrist and hand to her chest. 

“Status Report,” the Overlord commanded. 

“And a condition’s report,” Cryptor added, quirking an eyebrow. 

Emperor said, “The mission was a success on two parts; we achieved control over Ignacia and will have the scrap transported here within the next few days. The mayor refused to part any information about the Ninja, but in the end it wasn’t necessary. The Ninja launched a surprise attack, taking out our thirty guards within seconds. The Golden Ninja was there, Empress tried to capture him but-“

“The Samurai did _this_ to me,” Empress spat, glaring at the ground. 

“We lost the Golden One. The Ninja and Samurai fled during the incident.”

The pair bowed their heads, saying in unison, “We are sorry for our failure.”

The Overlord remained silent, watching the pair with burning violet eyes. Cryptor waved the two off, telling them to head to the medical bay for repairs and a checkup. Empress all but ran through the halls as her husband trailed behind, slamming open the door as she fumbled to unwrap Emperor’s hood. 

As Emperor removed her charging cord from the desk drawer, Cryptor stepped inside the room with a dark look across his face. He waited as Empress was connected to the charger, falling into a numbed sleep mode for her repairs. Emperor turned and nodded his head towards his general, then grew concerned when his expression did not change. 

“I want you to go through a repairs check,” Cryptor said, stepping up to him. “I need to make sure that all of your systems are running smoothly.”

“I can assure you I am functioning perfectly well.”

“It is not my decision, but the Commander’s.” Cryptor reached up and brushed Emperor’s cheek, feeling a sense of satisfaction watching him lean into the touch, closing his eyes in bliss. A soft breathy sigh escaped his lips, desperate for any kind of comforting touch. “It shall be fine, Emperor. A few minutes, nothing more.” 

Emperor gave a silent nod, guided to the bed as he sat down beside his wife. His crimson eyes remained half-lidded, waiting for his General’s next command. 

Cryptor stood tall and said, **“ _Emperor:_ General Command- Sleep Mode.”**

Emperor’s head fell forward, his eyes dulled and half-closed as his body remained stiff in it’s sitting position. Cryptor knelt down and opened his chest panel, then opened Empress’s panel, his eyes glancing at the boxes glowing and pulsing in time with their artificial heartbeats. 

“You shouldn’t have let the Golden One escape,” he grumbled, kneeling down in front of him. He reached up with a careful hand and twisted the small dial on their box from two to five out of nine. Emperor’s limp right hand clenched and shook just for a moment. His right eye twitched, but no sound escaped. A notification popped up within Cryptor’s mind: **[Emperor Free Will Reduced- Forty Percent Remaining]**. He scooted over to Empress and repeated the process, receiving a similar notification. Her teeth bared in a grimace for a quick second then returned to an emotionless position. Cryptor then stepped out of the room, returning a few moments later carrying a laptop; placing it on the bed, he connected a cord from one end and plugged it into the port on the back of Emperor’s neck, calling up the video memory of the siege on Ignacia and the attack from the Ninja. 

He watched for their failures, weaknesses and openings within their fighting, distractions or slower movements. Empress’s blind determination and singular focus was her downfall; though it was correct to capture the Golden One, she did not notice the Samurai ramming into her until it was too late. Her weakness is her emotions; the love for Emperor, the arrogance of striking down the Samurai, it’s what led to her hand nearly being chopped off. Emperor’s weaknesses were a little harder to discover, but Cryptor’s close inspection revealed similar revelations; the emotional connection to Empress was a distractor. When she was struck against the tree, Emperor opened himself up to attacks against the Fire and Earth Ninjas, thankfully they were too slow to realize the openings they had missed. Out of the corner of the video feed, Cryptor could see the Ninja retreating towards their flying ship, glancing back at the pair before disappearing into the distance; he gave a deep huff and closed the video feed, running a diagnostic check on Emperor’s system. 

**[CODENAME EMPEROR- DIAGNOSTICS CHECK: LOADING… LOADING... LOADING…]  
**

**[MOTOR FUNCTION: ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT]**  


**[MEMORY CORE: STATUS UNKNOWN]**  


**[HARD-DRIVE STATUS: STABLE CONDITION]**  


**[POWER CORE STATUS: ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT]**  


**[SEARCHING FOR SYSTEM FAILURES…]**  


**[SYSTEM STATUS: STABLE]**

Cryptor unplugged the cord from Emperor’s port, deciding to keep him in sleep mode until after the diagnostics check was completed. He’d rather not have her worried lover looming over his shoulder during the scan, though he could be of help during the welding and fixing of her wrist. He plugged the cord into a port within Empress’s left wrist, watching the screen light up with curiosity. 

**[CODENAME EMPRESS- DIAGNOSTICS CHECK: LOADING… LOADING... LOADING…]  
**

**[MOTOR FUNCTION: EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT]  
**

****[MEMORY CORE: STATUS UNKNOWN]**  
**

****[HARD-DRIVE STATUS: STABLE CONDITION]**  
**

****[POWER CORE STATUS: ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT]**  
**

****[SEARCHING FOR SYSTEM FAILURES…]**  
**

****[DAMAGE TO NECK TO BASE OF SKULL: TWELVE PERCENT]**  
**

****[DAMAGE TO RIGHT WRIST: EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT, SEEK IMMEDIATE ATTENTION]**  
**

****[SYSTEM STATUS: STABLE]** **

****

****

Cryptor disconnected the cord and closed the laptop with a sigh, it was time to awaken the husband and to deal with his nerves and anxious pacing. He leaned up and whispered, **“Emperor: General Command- Awaken.”** He stepped back as Emperor’s eyes glowed to life once again, blinking several times as his mind unclouded from the surprise sleep-mode. 

“General…?” Emperor slurred, stretching his back. “Have the… diagnostics… been completed?”

“Yes, Emperor, your systems are in working order. I will require your assistance in repairing Empress; she has damage not only in her wrist but she has slight damage to her neck and spine. You need to fix her wrist while I make sure there is no damage to her hard-drive.”

Cryptor gathered his supplies, sitting behind Empress while Emperor brought over the toolbox and soldering iron, sitting on her right side. Cryptor removed a switchblade from his belt and flipped open the blade, carefully dragging the blade from the base of her hairline to the bottom of her neck; he opened her metallic skin, revealing her endoskeleton and the cord still plugged in. He glanced at Emperor and told him to pause with his tinkering. “I am switching the plug to connect to the laptop so I know which vertebrae are damaged. She may wake up momentarily, be ready to hold her down if she reacts.”

Emperor nodded and held down her shoulders, keeping a careful, worried gaze on her face. 

“Three, two, one-“ The cord popped out with a buzz; her body jolted and contorted from the sudden loss of power, frantic whines escaped through her clenched teeth. Emperor wrapped one arm around her upper body while his other hand was caressing her cheek, murmuring calming words to her, “One, two, three-“ She jolted again, falling limp against her husband’s shoulder; he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and returned to work on her arm. Cryptor got to work on the damaged vertebrae, humming and grumbling in concentration, but the damage was not too bad. After about twenty minutes of tinkering, he closed the metal plates to her neck with a satisfied _click._ Emperor was almost done with his repairs. Cryptor decided that he was more than capable in finishing the job without supervision. 

As he turned to leave, Emperor called out, “General, before you go, I have a few questions.”

With a nearly silent sigh, he turned and crossed his arm over his chest, gesturing for him to continue. 

Emperor glanced down at her wrist and asked, “Is there any kind of synthetic skin to cover this?” Cryptor pointed at the middle shelf of the drawers and waited for the second question. Emperor was silent for a moment, his eyes revealed his fear though his voice remained straightforward. “With our failure… are we to receive punishment?”

Cryptor’s eyes flickered to the nearly hidden panel on Emperor’s chest. “As of this moment, the Overlord has forgiven you two this one time. If you fail again, your punishment shall be harsher than you can conceive. Continue to reclaim villages, capture the Golden Ninja, and you shall remain in the Commander’s saving grace.” With that, Emperor was left in the medical bay, haunted by Cryptor’s warning.


	16. Project: Black Ice (Part 5)

The group of Ninjas and Samurai collapsed onto the deck of the Destiny’s Bounty, gasping and panting for air as their muscles burned from the impromptu battle. Lloyd had fallen unconscious the second he was safe on board; Nya was still shaken to the core, the image of Kali looming above her, the sword gleaming in the light as it plunged towards her heart haunted her mind. Jay and Kai crawled over to her, holding her between them as Cole checked on Lloyd. 

“What’s happened to them?” Kai murmured. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“What did Cryptor do to them?” Jay asked. “They don’t remember themselves. What did they call each other?”

Cole spoke up, “Emperor is Zane, Empress is Kali. The only thing they seemed to care about more than capturing Lloyd was each other. You saw how panicked he was when Kali was hit.”

“She was going to kill me,” Nya murmured, hiding her pale face in Kai’s shoulder. “Did you see the look in her eyes? There was no kindness, no sympathy, just pure hatred.”

Kai wrapped his arms around her, glancing at Jay, hoping that he could find anything to say to the disheartened and frazzled group. 

Jay’s eyes searched and flickered across the deck, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. “Cryptor did something to them, some kind of code that is messing with their heads. We need to track them down, we need to get that code out of them.”

“But we don’t know where they are, and I’m pretty sure Cryptor and the Overlord don’t want to lose them,” Kai said. 

“I could try to build a tracker, something that locks onto Zane’s beacon; if I can do that, then we could see their movements and find a gap in their plan.”

Nya wiped at her eyes, a gleam of determination in her eyes. “I want to help. Two heads are better than one, right?”

Kai shook his head, “How are you going to even lock onto Zane’s beacon? I’m pretty sure his blueprints doesn’t say what it is.”

“Next time we fight them, we can make a sensor- Kai, if you could hold Kali back while Cole restrains Zane, we could get a lock on his signal!”

“As long as I don’t get my face frozen, I’m in,” Cole replied, scooping up Lloyd in his arms. 

“I am too. Whatever you need help with, sis, I’ll do it.”

Nya grinned, “Then let’s get our friends back!”

***

Two weeks passed as Emperor and Empress quietly reclaimed the smaller villages across Ninjago. Jamanakai, Stiix, Birchwood Village, all captured without incident. By the time the Ninja arrived on the Bounty, the pair watched with pride as they hid in the shadows, keeping away from their searching gaze. The Overlord would praise them for their victories but would remind them that the larger goal is to capture the Golden One before the siege on Ninjago City. 

Emperor and Empress would train throughout the day, practicing against not only one another but against nindroids that had not come out perfectly during construction. Jolty, trembling motions were no match against the sleek and oiled fighting from the Emperor and Empress. Any nindroid that challenged them was cut down within seconds, their parts recycled and reused for the next series being created. Cryptor, when he was not locked in the War Room with the Overlord, would watch in silence, noting when the pair would become distracted by one another or openings in their attacks. 

“Empress, stop glancing at Emperor. He can defend himself… Emperor, you had an opening at five minutes and thirty-two seconds; the Ninja could’ve struck and knocked you down… Pay attention to your surroundings… Empress, you had an opening at thirteen minutes and four seconds; the Ninja could strike at your back and take you out…”

Emperor and Empress would nod and take into account Cryptor’s criticism, thinking about their openings in their stances, trying to not glance at one another so much during the practice battles. After nearly an hour of training, Cryptor would call out that the practice had been completed and he was satisfied with their progress. With shaky limbs and heavy pants, the pair bowed and thanked their General for his criticisms. 

Cryptor walked up to the pair and caressed Emperor’s cheek; Emperor hummed and leaned into his touch, closing his eyes in bliss. He reached a hand up to maintain the physical affection but gave a nearly silent whine at the loss of touch when Cryptor turned to Empress. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, smirking at the trembles that overtook her body, turning her head to nestle against his touch. A broken cry was caught in her throat when he stepped back, Emperor and Empress stood tall once more and returned to a neutral expression. 

“In a few days, your next target is the village of Terra, about five miles outside of Ninjago City. With a population of about one hundred and fifty, you shall take back the city with three hundred soldiers. Your mission after the reclaiming is to take shelter within Ninjago City and to wait for our arrival within the next day. I fear that the Ninja will try to stop you. If the Ninja attack, do not engage; we cannot afford to lose you two to them. Do whatever you need to do to escape within the city.”

Emperor and Empress bowed, saying in unison that they understood their mission. The pair were dismissed as Cryptor left the room, heading back to his bedroom for a well-earned rest. But, yet, someone called out to him. 

“General!”

It was Emperor. What did he want? 

Emperor ran to a halt only about two feet away from Cryptor, a little too close in his opinion. He grinned as his breath came out in puffs, still exhausted from his extensive training. “General, I… I wanted to thank you; well, Empress and I wanted to thank you but her wrist was still hurting her. I’ll need to run a check to make sure nothing is irritating her, but last time I did a check nothing came up, so I’m not quite sure what the irritation could be-“

“Emperor!” Cryptor snapped. 

Emperor gave a small jump, his face blushing a light blue. “My apologies. I wanted to say thank you for protecting us from the Ninja, for keeping us from being turned into servants. As you told me, ‘we are built the same.’ So that means we are family, right General?”

Cryptor was stunned. _Family?_ He knew what it was, but would he really call the two former ninja family? He felt his mind short-circuit; if he said no, that could damage his chain of command, leading to distrust between the pair and him. If he said yes, that could lead Emperor and Empress trying to _‘get to know him better,’_ which he would rather die than happen. But at the same time, if he said yes, that could lead to a stronger bond between them, allowing more trust in his leadership. Cryptor looked back at the eagerly waiting nindroid and quietly murmured, “I… I guess?”

A bright grin grew across Emperor’s pale face, his crimson eyes glistening with excitement; he leapt forward and wrapped Cryptor in both of his arms, squeezing him tight. A notification popped up in his mind: **[IDENTIFICATION: HUG].** _A hug?_ His body stiffened involuntarily, his arms frozen in surprise. He felt… comforted. Safe. _Happy?_ Cryptor felt as if a hundred error messages were popping up in his mind, losing himself in the sudden confusion. He felt Emperor give one final squeeze and took a step back, his face further hidden under a deep blue blush. 

“My apologies once again, General. I… I don’t know what overtook me,” he said, sheepishly. 

Cryptor blinked as his mind focused once more. He cleared his throat, “It is fine, Emperor. Just… do not do so again with me. Now, return to Empress and prepare for the next mission.” As Emperor retreated down the hall, he turned and stepped inside his room, locking the door behind him. _Family?_ That was not possible. He had no family. He was built alone, even though he was loosely based on Zane’s- _**Emperor’s**_ blueprints. He shook his head. It’s just to gain more trust from Emperor and Empress; if it backfires he could always erase the memory and act as if nothing happened. But, yet, he himself could never forget how much he enjoyed it. 

 

Emperor and Empress marched with their army the next morning, due to the long distance away from Terra, about fifty miles away. Though the village was the last one before Ninjago City, both in proximity and in their paths to reclaim, the pair were ready for battle in case of a revolution. Emperor found a small rushed soldiering malfunction within Empress’s wrist, after smoothing it out, she no longer had any discomfort and was ready to fight. The pair marched into the autumn city, relishing in the sounds of terrified screaming and the doors slamming behind the frightened villagers. The army spread around the town, ready to gather the people if the leaders gave the signal. 

Emperor and Empress stormed into the town hall and kicked open the door to the mayor’s office, startling the lanky middle-aged man inside. “I… I know y-you!” Mayor Turmine cried, shaking in his chair. “Y-You’re the leaders of the army! I w-will not b-bow to you!”

The pair growled, “We demand the village’s allegiance to the Lost King, we demand all scrap metal and wires, and we demand information about the Ninja.”

Turmine trembled in his seat, “N-Never!”

Empress slammed the scroll onto the desk, causing the frightened man to jump and skitter back. They repeated their demands, snarling underneath their black masks and hoods, but once again he refused, though his voice was much weaker. Emperor stood straight and, within the blink of an eye, the Mayor had a silver katana hovering barely a centimeter above his carotid artery. 

Empress, in a dark voice, said, “One last chance before you bleed out on the floor and your village is taken by force. We demand the village’s allegiance to the Lost King, we demand all scrap metal and wires, and we demand information about the Ninja.”

Turmine glanced outside of the window, seeing the hundreds of soldiers lining the streets, a sense of hopelessness flooded his body. Reluctantly, he relented and signed the scroll. Empress and Emperor beamed, snatching the scroll away after the mayor signed it with a shaky hand. The pair turned and left the office, already discussing their plan to hide within the city, when something caught Emperor’s eyes. 

“They’re here,” he hissed, grabbing her hand. “We must go.”

Emperor and Empress turned and sprinted through the streets, seeing flashes of color in their peripheral visions, leaping from rooftop to rooftop or ducking into alleyways. Empress knew that Terra lay about two miles outside of the Ninjago City limit with little to no shelter in between, only sparse trees every so often. Once they left the safety of the village, they would be vulnerable to the Ninja’s tricks and attacks. 

Their footsteps pounded against the dirt path, their breaths heavy against the fabric of their masks; the Ninja were closing in, they could feel their gazes watching them from all around. Emperor and Empress scanned the area around them, rushing past a small bunch of trees until two large figures charged into their paths. Emperor was tackled to the ground by the Earth Ninja, his arms restrained above his head within a rock the Ninja had created. Empress was tangled in a rope held by the Fire Ninja, forced to her knees as he tied her hands together. 

The Lightning Ninja and the Samurai caught up to their teammates, breathing heavily from the chase, but their eyes remained locked on the frantically struggling Emperor beneath the Earth Ninja sitting on his stomach. The Samurai and Lightning Ninja knelt by his head as the ninja removed a device about the size of his hand from his pocket. Empress screamed and cursed each one, threatening to tear them apart limb by limb if they hurt her beloved husband. Emperor thrashed and screamed out, calling for his wife and his general. 

Lightning yanked open Emperor’s black and purple uniform, revealing the panel on his chest. He turned to him and said, “I’m so sorry, Zane, but we need to do this.”

“Leave him alone!” Empress shrieked, tears forming in her eyes. “Don’t touch him!”

“We’re not going to hurt you, Zane,” the Samurai said, nearly deafened by Emperor and Empress’s screams. “We’re your family, we’re trying to save you!”

Lightning opened his panel, only to pale and scramble back a foot or so. “What in the name of Ninjago is that?!” he cried, staring at the strange pulsing box within his chest. 

Empress’s thrashing grew uncontrollable, Fire’s grip on her started to wane. “What did you do to him?! _What did you monsters put in him?!”_

The Samurai turned to her, her eyes wide with terror. “Ka-Empress, we didn’t do this. We don’t know what this is!”

“Emperor, we’re your true family,” Earth said, grunting occasionally from the flailing legs behind him. “We know you better than Cryptor and the Overlord ever could.”

“Lies! All you speak are lies!” Emperor screamed. 

“We know you loved to cook, you love the color pink, you have a pet falcon-”

“No! Stop talking!”

“Empress, you love to draw. You love to organize, and you love to bake things on the Bounty,” the Samurai said as the Lightning Ninja held the device up to Emperor’s heart. 

“Shut up! Shut up!” she screeched. Her heart burned scorching her from the inside-out, Empress wailed and screamed as her voice echoed for miles. 

“Emperor, did Cryptor tell you that you’re a Master of Ice?” Earth asked, his voice soft yet firm. 

Emperor’s thrashing slowed, a look of fear crossed his face. “No… No! Lies! LIES!! _THE GENERAL WOULD NEVER LIE TO US!!”_ He started to sob, his tears started to freeze against the side of his face. “LIARS! MONSTERS!! YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO US!!”

The Samurai held down the Emperor’s shoulders as the earth around his hands started to freeze and crack, hissing as fog started to leak through the soil. 

“You’re the master of ice! You are an elemental master, just like us!” Lightning cried as his device gave a chirp. “You and Ka-Empress are our family! You have to believe us!”

Emperor’s sobbing grew uncontrollable, wailing and screaming for Empress. Empress’s head twitched as a look of fury crossed her face; she forced her arms downward, breaking out of Fire’s grasp as her twin blades erupted from her forearms, slicing open the ropes restraining her. With a quick flip, the blades returned to her arms with a click. Emperor’s heart started to glow a neon blue, humming and pounding loudly as it mixed with his screams. Empress leaped to her feet and struck Fire against his face, feeling a sense of satisfaction as her fist connected with his left cheek, sending him stumbling back a few feet. 

Empress turned and started to sprint towards her beloved husband, but screeched to a halt when she saw the strange color emanating from him. Emperor arched his back, his eyes wide with fear; the rock holding down his hands exploded, knocking Earth off of his stomach. A blast of ice shot out from Emperor’s heart and hands, spreading several feet away from him in waves of spikes; the ice covered Earth’s lower half, as well as the Samurai and Lightning’s knees, legs, and lower abdomens. 

Emperor panted, his eyes half-lidded as his body went limp, exhausted by the sudden and terrifying burst of power. Empress could feel a small part of her warning not to touch him, that she could be frozen, that he could hurt her, but she shoved those feelings aside. She rushed forward and scooped up her taller husband in her arms, feeling frost covering her arms and chest, but she did not care. Empress would rather die than leave her husband in the hands of those monsters. She could hear the Ninja and Samurai screaming at them to stop, to come back, but she shut them out. They spoke only lies, they only wanted to manipulate them, but she would lay her life down to keep her husband away from their hands. 

Emperor weakly looked up at her as his head lay tucked against her chest. With a shaky hand, he closed the panel on his chest, then placed his hand on her chest, trembling in her grip. _“E-Emp-press-ss,”_ he stuttered, his teeth clicking together. 

“We’re almost there, we’re almost to the city,” she said, keeping her gaze locked on the towering skyscrapers looming in front of them. Empress refused to look backward, she didn’t want to know if the Ninja had broken free from the ice and were chasing after them once again. She just had to get into the city and duck into the nearest shadowy area or abandoned building, she had to get Emperor to safety. 

Her eyes flickered at the cars driving around in the twilight city, hiding in the shadows to avoid the watching eyes of the cameras and the judging glances of civilians. A police siren shot through the streets; Empress jolted and ducked into a nearby alleyway, pressing her back against the stone exterior as the police car rushed by. Her breath came out in shaky puffs, sliding her back down the wall until she sat on the ground with her husband still curled up in her arms. 

Emperor reached his trembling hand up and brushed away the loose strands of black hair that had escaped from underneath her hood, his tired eyes stared at the frost that now dusted her cheeks from his hands. _“M-My love,”_ he murmured. _“I-I’m… I’m dan-dangerous… I c-could hurt-“_

Her head snapped downward, yet there was no malice in her eyes, only concern and love. “My dear Emperor, I know you would never hurt me.”

_“B-But the ice-!”_

Empress glanced at the small spikes of ice that connected the pair; she did not know and could not tell if it was growing worse or melting. She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against his freezing lips, feeling her lips stick for a moment against his, but it made her giggle. “If we freeze together, then so be it. I would rather be with you, frozen in eternity, than alone and unfrozen.”

He gave a weak chuckle, _“S-So rom-mantic.”_

Empress waited until the stars shone high above them and the streets were silent before leaving the alleyway. The ice had melted as Emperor regained enough strength to walk, even though he had to lean heavily against her shoulder. Before they left, they stripped out of their black and purple uniforms and revealed their civilian clothes hidden underneath. Each wore thin black hoodies with cash, a communication device, and her charging cord hidden in the pockets, with black leggings underneath.

Emperor and Empress wandered through the streets, through endless blocks and hiding in the shadows until they found their desired hotel. A small hotel with only three floors, nestled between two towering buildings, Empress helped her beloved inside as the receptionist gave them a curious look. 

“Good evening and welcome to the Diamond Inn. Do you have a reservation?”

Empress nodded, “Yes, it should be under, uh, Thompson?”

The receptionist nodded and typed on her keyboard, giving a satisfied hum. “Ah, yes, here it is! Mr. and Mrs. Thompson; a one night stay, correct?”

She nodded and handed her the correct amount of cash, turning down a receipt before grabbing the keys. Empress helped Emperor through the carpeted halls, glancing at the numbers on each of the doors until she found their room number. With a click, the door opened and the pair weakly shuffled inside; Emperor collapsed onto the bed as Empress plugged in her cord, but she did not charge herself just yet. She needed to make sure her husband was safe and that their position was known to the General. 

Empress pulled out her comm device and connected to Cryptor’s signal. “General, we are in the city at the Diamond Hotel. We had an… unfortunate run-in with the Ninja and Samurai but we managed to escape. Over.”

“Empress, what occurred during the run-in? Over.” Cryptor asked. 

She glanced over at her Emperor as he lightly dozed beside her. She frowned and said, “They tried to ambush us outside of the city, but we managed to escape. Over.”

“Very well, we shall be there at dawn. Be prepared to march to the Palace, over.”

“Understood. Over.”

Empress turned off the comm device and placed it on the nightstand beside the bed, then turned and curled up beside Emperor. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around her back and waist, nuzzling against her hair. She gave a happy hum and tucked herself against his chest, feeling his heartbeat pound calmly against her cheek. He started to run his hand through her hair, twisting several strands between his fingers; Empress was in blissful heaven. 

“I love you, Empress,” he murmured moments before he fell into a peaceful slumber, the first time in weeks. 

Empress glanced up at his slumbering face, caressing his face. She loved his man with every fiber of her being; the way his eyes sparkled when he laughed, his protective nature yet the softness that was beneath the surface, the murmurs of affection he whispered in her ears during their nights together- her face warmed at the memories. Those nights, though rare, were blissful and passionate, yet soft and gentle. Even nights were they just lay curled up in each other’s arms, tucked against one another like pieces of a puzzle, she wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

Empress turned and picked up her cord, hovering it above her port in her neck. “Goodnight, my Emperor. I love you too.” She plugged in the cord and fell into a heavenly slumber.


	17. Project: Black Ice (Part 6)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight Blood Warning

Kai’s head spun from the sudden punch, stumbling back with a heavy grunt as he landed on his backside. His eyes felt crossed, watching as Kali ran towards Zane moments after a wave of ice erupted from his body, freezing his family’s lower halves. He struggled to his feet as Kali picked up Zane and sprinted towards the distant Ninjago City; he wanted to chase after them, he couldn’t bear to lose them once again, but he knew he had to rescue his family first. 

Kai quickly got to work, his fire engulfing his hands as he started to melt the surprisingly thick ice. Through chattering teeth, Nya asked Jay if he managed to get Zane’s beacon before the ice froze them. 

He nodded and with a trembling hand, holding up the sensor; a small hand-held box with a screen in the center, a small antenna stuck a few inches out from the top, a single dial and two buttons, one red and one blue, lay around the screen. The blue screen had a fluctuating white line like a heartbeat, able to switch to a map with Zane’s current location. Jay said that it would update every five seconds. 

By the time Kai managed to unthaw everyone, the sun had set behind the horizon and he was ready to pass out from exhaustion. Cole sent a call to Lloyd, who was still on the Bounty, to come pick them up. 

“Did it work?” Lloyd asked over the commlink. 

“We got Zane’s signal, but they escaped again,” Cole replied. “One thing we know is that he still has his elemental powers.”

Lloyd cried, “Did he hurt you?!”

“It was more from fear and panic, I don’t know if he truly meant to hurt us,” Nya said. 

“We can discuss this more on the Bounty. Lloyd, what’s your ETA?” Kai asked as he and Nya leaned on one another. 

“I can see you guys! Landing in just a moment!” The roar of the Bounty grew louder as the magnificent ship descended from the skies above, landing with a heavy thud within the plains. Lloyd ran across the deck and lowered the ramp, waiting anxiously for his family to ascend the wooden ramp to learn about their mission. Kai asked if he could assist in getting everyone to the dining room while he made hot tea. Lloyd nodded and took Kai’s place under Nya’s arm, wrapping his arms around her shoulder as the group shuffled up the stairwells, he diverged from the group and made his way first to the bridge to set the ship onto autopilot. 

As Kai stepped into the bridge, his eyes wandered over to the family portrait hanging on the Southern wall, underneath the circular window. An oil pastel painting made only a year or so ago during a time of peace after the Overlord’s first defeat; the Ninjas had gathered in the Bounty’s kitchen to make a parade of pastries and desserts not only in celebration of their victory but to celebrate Lloyd’s birthday. Zane tried to keep the group out of the kitchen, knowing without a doubt that chaos would’ve reigned and nothing would’ve been made right, but he could not keep out five rowdy teens. Kali had just stepped out of the room for a moment to fetch an apron and to tie her hair up in a ponytail, only to return to Zane panicking and the group covered in flour, sugar, sprinkles, and rainbow frosting. She stood there for a moment, her eyes flashed white before a smile grew on her face. Kali stepped into the kitchen, secretly dipping her finger into a bowl of light blue frosting, and wiped a dollop on Zane’s nose. The group cheered and eventually calmed down after the excitement shifted into actually baking the pastries; Lloyd said that he had never had a better birthday than that singular day. 

Kai smiled just for a moment, just enough to think that everything was okay before reality struck him once again. Everything was not okay. Zane and Kali were gone, whether both mentally and physically, and they had to get them back before they did things that they would regret. So far, it could be considered lucky that none of the villages had an execution or a riot, nothing bloody or violent just yet, but he knew that time could run out. The last city to be sieged was the capital which the Destiny’s Bounty was hovering around, though he wondered if they could truly stop the Overlord at this point. The Dark Lord had already conquered almost all of Ninjago, he had an army of nindroids on his side that seemed to grow more powerful by the day, and he had Zane and Kali trapped in his grasp.

Kai knew Lloyd was getting antsy remaining behind on the ship, but he couldn’t bear losing another family member. He had to find a way to keep Lloyd out of the Overlord’s hands, if he got to the golden power- Kai shook his head, he couldn’t let that happen. He walked up to the controls and set the autopilot’s course, keeping the Bounty about two miles outside of the city limits for Ninjago City. Satisfied, he made his way back down to the dining room where the others were quietly talking or sipping at the tea Lloyd had made. Kai sat down beside Nya and rested his head on the table, feeling the rumble of the table as Jay passed him a cup; he murmured thanks and raised his head to take a sip. 

“What’s the plan now?” Nya asked. “We got Zane’s beacon, we know their location, should we try to rescue them now?”

“I don’t think we’re up to fighting them again,” Cole said, resting his head in his hands. “They’re probably expecting us to chase after them, and if Zane’s powers are still on the fritz- we might be completely frozen next time.”

“But every moment we wait, the Overlord grows stronger!” Kai snapped. 

“Kai, look at us. We’re fucking exhausted, Lloyd can’t go near them without the chance of being captured, and we don’t know if we’d be walking into a trap.”

Kai couldn’t even argue, he felt his eyes drooping as his head bobbed up and down. Maybe they had a point. 

“Tomorrow, once we’re rested, we’ll track down Zane and Kali and bring them home. For now, I think it’s time to head to bed,” Cole murmured, his voice slurring. The group nodded and shuffled off to bed, Kai blacked out the second his head hit the pillow. 

 

Flash images filled Emperor’s head. Blurs of reds, blues, blacks, greens, and whites. Laughter, joyful laughter, warmed his heart. The roar of engines. Sunset skies. A myriad of stars. A forest of snow. A family, but he could not see their faces. Emperor rolled restlessly in his slumber, gripping the blanket beneath his hands. Voices whispered in his mind, soft and kind, loving and warm. Words of comfort, words of love, words of affection; Emperor could feel a sob escape his lips. He longed for the warmth of embraces, the heat from fire, the crackle of lightning, the strength and security of earth, the golden laughter- the images changed. 

A wedding. He stood at the end of the aisle, dressed in a black and white suit. Two best men stood to his right; one with an orange tie, one with a blue tie. An organ began to play. The faceless crowd stood. A best man with a red tie and a maid of honor in a blue and black suit meandered towards him. Their faces were hazy. Emperor’s eyes drifted past them, locking onto the bride at the entrance to the cathedral. A white and snow blue gown, white skin with silver markings, but he could not see her face. Emperor grew desperate as error codes started blaring in his mind. 

**[REDACTED INFORMATION]  
[UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS]  
[ACCESS DENIED]  
[MEMORY FILES LOCKED]**

_No, please!_ Emperor screamed, breaking free from his spot by the altar. The world around him slowed, reaching desperately for his bride. He needed to see her face, he needed to know what was happening, he needed to know. His fingers were inches away from the veil covering her face-

**[ACCESS DENIED]  
[ACCESS DENIED]  
[ACCESS DENIED]  
[COMMAND OVERRIDE: AWAKEN]**

Emperor jolted awake, feeling his body grow completely numb; a new notification overtook his sight. 

**[COMMAND OVERRIDE: MARIONETTE PROTOCOL]**

_Marionette?_ Emperor wondered. _What did-_ His body shot up, jolting out of bed; he suddenly stood at the base of the bed, unable to move any part of his form. Empress awoke with a start, her eyes were wide with fear as she yanked the cord out of her neck, flinching from the sudden removal. Empress leaped to her feet, standing stiff and tall, yet her gaze locked onto his as tears brimmed and threatened to spill.

“Emp..er..or?!” she cried through gritted teeth. “What’s… hap..pen..ing?!”

“I.. don’t… know!” he hissed, feeling an uncontrollable sense of panic flowing through his veins. He couldn’t control his body, nothing responded to his commands, he was trapped in his mind. Their bodies walked over to the pile of clothes sitting and stripped off their civilian attire, returning to their uniforms. “I… I can’t…!” 

_**“The Commander is waiting for us,”**_ Emperor and Empress abruptly chanted; their voices sounded so foreign, as if it wasn’t even them talking. Involuntarily, their bodies marched out of the room, through the lobby, and into the center of the streets still darkened before Dawn. Loud roars boomed through the city as the pair stood in the center of the road, watching as hundreds- if not thousands- of crimson red eyes manifested from the darkness, led by a single pair of violet eyes. 

The Overlord, Cryptor, and the army stormed towards them, armed and ready for the inevitable battle waiting for them at the palace in the center of the city. Cryptor reached up and grabbed Empress’s chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

“I know you kept the truth from me,” he hissed, relishing in the loss of control in her body. “I know the Ninja ambushed you, I know they restrained you, and I know they did something to Emperor. You two are so lucky the Commander is in a good mood this morning, otherwise you would be scrapped faster than you can blink.”

Emperor trembled as the Overlord marched past, their commander glanced over his shoulder and subtly motioned the pair forward using his pointer and middle fingers; their bodies walked forward and followed behind their leaders. Emperor looked around at the sleeping skyscrapers, watching as lights flickered on in miscellaneous rooms and silhouettes moved about behind curtains and shades. Down through the streets, the army marched, thunderous stomps and mechanical groans woke the light sleepers of the town as the Palace of Ninjago manifested through the early morning mist. 

_This was it,_ Emperor thought, feeling his arms reach forward to accept the silver swords from Cryptor. Empress followed suit, keeping her terrified gaze locked between the Palace looming in front of them and to Emperor, desperate to reach for her beloved husband. 

Cryptor growled, “Emperor, Empress; your job is to get the Overlord and me to the throne room. Focus only on the task at hand, our soldiers shall do the rest.”

Were they truly ready for this? For the Overlord to reclaim his throne? To take on actual revolters bent on stopping them? To risk death for this cause? Emperor looked at their leaders as they marched towards the Palace gates; they had taken them in, rescued them from the monstrous Ninja, risked life and limb to train them and keep them safe. This was the least they could do to repay their debts. 

Cryptor kicked open the gates, alerting the drowsy guards posted along the courtyard; the guards scrambled for their spears as the nindroid army stormed inside. Their soldiers tackled, restrained, and de-armed the palace guards as the Overlord and Cryptor marched inside with their heads held high. Emperor and Empress flanked their Commander and General, ready to disarm and subdue anyone who dared to attack them. At the base of the stairs, the doors leading inside the ruby palace slammed open as a flood of guards poured outward, a man dressed in green called out orders. 

“Stop the intruders! Protect the Royal Family!”

Emperor felt his body lunge forward, swords gleaming in the lantern-light, as his face contorted into an excited sneer. He slashed upwards, feeling the blade bite into a guard’s chest, blood splattered across Emperor’s uniform as the guard collapsed, still alive but wailing in pain. He slammed his elbow into the helmet of another soldier, knocking him to his knees. Emperor and Empress tore through the stream of guards, slashing at their exposed body parts, striking at their heads, but feeling the smallest bit of control and restraint to make sure that they did not kill anyone. The Overlord and Cryptor calmly strode up the steps and into the Palace royal hall, finding the man in green standing by the pair of thrones. 

“Do your worst, intruder,” the man spat, slamming the base of his spear on the ground with a thunderous crack. 

“Cryptor, restrain this traitor,” the Overlord hissed. “Emperor, Empress; search the Palace, find anyone who may be still here.”

As Cryptor charged forward, his swords screaming for blood, Emperor and Empress felt a little control return to their bodies, stumbling ever so slightly as they charged down the nearby hallways. Emperor kicked open the locked doors, scanning the empty rooms for any life, anything out of the ordinary, as Empress snuck into the unlocked rooms. One by one they made their way through the rectangular palace, finding not even maids or servants in any of the rooms until Empress stumbled into one of the bedrooms. 

A child, around eight years old, slept in her bed, unaware of the two figures in the hallway or the army outside. Her bleached white hair haloed around her pillow, her breathing soft and steady. Empress was frozen where she stood. 

_They could not hurt a child,_ Emperor thought. He knew they would rather face the harshest punishment than harm a sleeping child, even one of royal blood. He leaned past Empress and closed the door with a nearly silent click, making sure that the door was locked once again. He faced Empress and held a finger to his lips, removing his mask just for a few seconds. He mouthed, _Tell no one. We will get her out when the time comes._

Empress nodded and carved a hidden X on the side of the doorframe, making note of which room the child was sleeping in. The pair continued their search through the numerous rooms, unable to find anyone other than the child. They returned to the throne room where the Overlord was waiting, sitting on the throne with a smug grin on his face. 

“Did you find anyone?” the Overlord asked. 

"No, the Palace was empty," Empress replied as they knelt at the base of the throne, their heads hung low in respect and fear. 

The Overlord leaned down and placed the tips of his fingers underneath their jaws, tipping their heads upward. “You better be telling the truth, my dear Emperor and Empress, otherwise you will see how truly unforgiving I can be.” His voice was deep and low, yet revealing to the sides of their Commander that had yet to be seen. Emperor trembled and nodded his head the best he could, feeling the sharp tips of the Overlord’s fingers press into the synthetic flesh of his neck. 

“Good. I have a mission for you two; the King and Queen have escaped. I want you two to hunt them down and either return them here or to strike them down where they stand. Stay out of sight of the Ninja, do not let them near you. They should still be in the city; do not fail me.” 

The Overlord sat up as Emperor and Empress scrambled to their feet, bowing one final time before disappearing down the hallway to find the child. Their footsteps were silent, scared to round the corner and find Cryptor or their soldiers waiting for them. They had to get the child out before she could be harmed. Emperor unlocked the door and crept inside, she was still silently sleeping, murmuring something in her dreamlike state. Empress found a spare piece of paper, scribbled something on it as he wrapped the child in her comforter, keeping her tucked against his chest. With a unified nod, Emperor and Empress snuck out of the Palace and into the City. 

 

On the Bounty, the Ninja awoke to the alarm blaring and ringing in their ears. Cole was the first to scramble up to the bridge with the others not too far behind; a distress call coming from the Southern side of the city. Nya withdrew the anchor and pushed the thruster forward as the ship roared to life. Kai and Jay hung to the railings, their sleep-filled eyes scanning for the source of the call. 

“There!” Kai called, pointing at the last road leaving the city. Two figures waved up at the Bounty as a third lay in one of the figure’s arms. As the Bounty landed, one of the figures placed the sleeping form on the ground; the two figures sprinted back into the city and disappeared into the shadows as Jay’s sensor started ringing. 

Kai and Jay raced down the ramp, searching for the two people that had run off, unable to locate them as they approached the sleeping person. The pair paled at the realization; this was the Princess of Ninjago, the Jade Princess Harumi. Jay’s sensor grew quiet as he removed it from his pocket, watching as Zane’s beacon grew further and further away from their location. 

“Kai? Jay?” Nya called over their comms. “What’s happening down there?”

Kai took in a deep breath and said, “We’re gonna have a special guest on board.”

“Who?”

“The Princess of Ninjago.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to give thanks to Sayijo, Kiwi, and Jacket for continually supporting me while writing this. I love y'all so much.


	18. Winter Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the Lovely Sayijo; Happy Birthday!
> 
> (Platonic Kai and Cryptor)

Wintertime. Cryptor hated wintertime; the air was too cold, threatening to freeze his circuits and wiring by stepping outside the safety of the monastery, the black ice waits for a single wrong step, and the snow- the suffocating snow. He shuddered, curling deeper into the nest of blankets that he had gathered _(ahem, stolen)_ from the Ninja’s bedroom. An abstract myriad of crimsons, sapphires, charcoals, emeralds, and pearls creating a soft fortress around the nindroid. 

A blizzard was raging outside of the monastery, the wind screeching and screeching desperately trying to engulf Cryptor once again- no, he was not going to think about it. He was not thinking about-

“So that’s where all of the blankets went.”

Cryptor rolled his eye and burrowed further within the nest of blankets, huffing as Kai leaned against the doorframe with that stupid smirk on his face. That arrogant hothead thought he was so clever, so smart- a burst of winter air snuck in through the cracks between the window, Cryptor lost his train of thought and curled deeper into the blankets. 

Kai cocked his head, his smirk vanishing instantaneously. “You okay, Cry?”

“What do you think?” he spat, his voice muffled by the cloth. God, he fucking hated the cold; any mission that required stepping outside in anything below 10-degree weather, he refused to step outside the comfort of the rebuilt monastery. The Ninja can freeze out there while he stays inside nice and warm. 

“Want me to ask Zane if he can make some hot cocoa?”

Cryptor shook his head, barely peeking above the wall of blankets. Muffled footsteps approached him from the other side of the couch; Kai flopped down on the cushion to Cryptor’s right and leaned his head against his shoulder. The Former Nindroid General immediately melted at the Fire Ninja’s warmth, nuzzling against Kai’s surprisingly soft hair; he would’ve expected a harsh crunch from hair gel and hairspray, yet it felt unnaturally soft. Cryptor unraveled part of his barrier of blankets and held his arm out. Kai grinned and scooted closer, tucking his body against his side. 

The warmth. The heat. The comfort. Cryptor was in fucking heaven. Kai, his personal heater, his best friend, his candle in the night. A cracked hum grew from his throat as he nuzzled into Kai’s hair; he could feel Kai’s smile grow- the fucker. 

“Dude, did you just purr?”

“No,” Cryptor growled, yet the stupid purr reverberated with his voice. God, he sounded like a cat. 

“Don’t worry, dude, I won’t tell anyone.” 

Cryptor opened his mouth, but immediately forgot whatever he was going to say when he felt Kai’s fingers run through his hair; a shudder ran through his body as elation and warmth filled his heart. His eyes started to droop, sleep creeping in at the corners of his mind; he was safe, he was warm, he was alive. Cryptor… Cryptor had a family, a family that loved him. He couldn’t have asked for a better second life.


	19. Echo?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zali Prompt

Kali stood on the edge of the dock, a little distance away from the crowd saying goodbye to the Ninja, as her creator squeezed her hand. Kali felt unbelievably nervous, terrified even, of the journey ahead of them; a week-long sail across the Western Ocean to the mysterious Dark Island to stop Lord Garmadon and his army of Stone Warriors once and for all. The only problem was, Kali was terrified of the ocean; the boat capsizes and she tumbles into the endless black abyss, the saltwater destroys her wiring and internal electronics, and she fades into obscurity never to be seen again. 

Katherine reached up and turned Kali’s gaze away from the calm water looming in front of them, she pressed a kiss to her forehead and murmured, “It’s going to be okay, my child. You’re going to be safe, you’re going to win, and you’ll return home safely.”

Kali couldn’t say anything. She just closed her eyes and embraced her creator in a tight hug. Katherine murmured, “It’s going to be okay, Kalypso. I trust the Ninja to take care of you, and I know you can take care of them.” She took a step back and lifted Kali’s chin, “I’ll see you soon. I love you, Kalypso.”

“I love you too, mother,” Kali whispered, feeling a warm hand wrap around hers. She turned and saw Zane smiling, radiating a comforting energy that helped her relax. 

“It’s time to go,” he said. “Are you ready?”

Kali nodded and embraced her creator once again, taking in a deep breath for stepping back, holding Zane’s hand once again. The pair boarded the Bounty as Kai, Cole, and Jay called out to the crowd, waving and grinning as the ramp was removed from the dock. The land started to fade into obscurity as the Destiny’s Bounty sailed further across the sea; once the shoreline had disappeared, Kali took refuge in the bridge and hid against the back wall; Zane would stay by her side for a while before having to leave to train. Nya would strike up casual conversations as she piloted the ship through the churning water. 

The first day was calm. Zane calmly guided Kali out from the bridge, taking all the time she needed to adjust as they descended step by step. He would murmur encouragement, telling her that she was doing great and that she was safe. As they descended the second staircase, Lloyd and Cole were waiting at the base with their hands extended for extra support. Kali’s legs trembled with each step, growing weaker as they walked across the deck; she collapsed in the center of the deck and couldn’t budge, refusing to approach the edge of the ship. 

The second day, a storm brewed on the horizon. Kali refused to budge from the bridge, even with Zane’s urges she refused to move. Zane eventually relented and decided to sit with her, letting her rest her head in his lap. The Bounty started to sway, crashing as the waves grew uncontrollable; Nya struggled to hold onto the wheel as Zane had to help the rest of the Ninja hold the mast and sail. Kali tried to help Nya control the rocking of the ship against the crashing waves, too focused on the heavy groaning of the ancient ship to see the Ninja frantically throwing the Starteeth off. The Bounty started to drift off course, alarms blared in the bridge, yet Kali felt calm. She ground her teeth and focused on the task at hand as the night and the storm rage on. 

The third day arrived, and the Bounty had seen better days. The sails were torn, the rudder was missing, the boosters were shot, and there was now a massive hole in the hull of the ship. Everyone but Kali had gathered in the cargo-hold where most of the water was leaking in, filling buckets to dump back into the ocean in a rather pointless manner. Waves continue to crash against the hole, soaking everyone’s pants and shoes as the Bounty drifted without control. 

Kali’s voice rang through the speakers, frantic and panicked, “Everyone hold on! Land incoming!”

Only a few seconds later, the Bounty groaned and screeched as everyone lost their footing, tumbling either onshore or into the water still sloshing around in the room. The group exited the ship and stared up at the looming tower on the desolate island. Kali noticed that Zane had a concerned look on his face, something about it… he couldn’t put his finger on. Something about it, he felt a connection to, just as he did with the falcon. Kali stood next to Zane, watching his expression grow confused and concerned. He gave her a smile and started walking up the hundreds of steps.

Kali could hear the Ninja huffing and puffing, quietly grumbling and groaning at the seemingly excess number of stairs, and even she had to admit that her joints were starting to ache about three-fourths of the way up. 

A thunderous rumble erupted from the water surrounding the small island, heavy waves crashed onto the sand as Jay gave a frightened whine. Zane turned away from the water and approached the wooden door, raising his hand to knock before the quiet whirr of a security camera caught their attention. 

“Should we smile?” Jay quipped, just as frantic running could be heard from the other side of the door. Locks were clicked, a heavy wooden plank was moved, and the door was thrown open. 

A kindly old man appeared, his aged white lab coat fluttered around his body as a bright excited smile appeared on his face. His eyes were aged but were filled with glee and elation. “Zane!” he cried. “You found me!”

Zane looked as if he would tumble backward at the slightest breeze; eyes wide in shock, his mouth agape, and his body stiff and frozen. The man reached forward and tugged Zane into a bearhug, leaving Kali and the rest of the team confused.

He looked familiar, Kali wondered. Why did he look so familiar?

“Do you know him?” Lloyd asked, but she couldn’t tell if he was asking Zane or the older man. 

The old man laughed and released Zane, keeping his hands on his arms, “Of course I know him! I built him for heaven’s sake!”

Zane’s father? Doctor Julien? But wasn’t he-

“My memory tells me that you’ve passed?” Zane asked, though his voice was weak and gave out. Was this truly happening, or was this a dream? he asked himself. 

Doctor Julien’s gaze softened, “You found your memory switch, I’m so glad to hear that.”

The roar echoed out once again as the group was hurriedly ushered inside; once Nya was inside, the door was closed and locked, bolted shut and covered with a heavy wooden plank. A soft metallic creak and groan caught Kali’s attention, something shuffled off to her right behind the numerous crates on the base floor. Perhaps it was a mouse, she wanted to think, but mice do not sound metallic. Zane was led up the spiraling stairs by his father as the group followed behind, but Kali decided to remain at the back. 

Yes, she was still curious about the strange noises, but she also wanted to give Zane space. This was an overwhelming moment for him, she wanted to give him space to think and to adjust to the new presence in his life. The group stumbled up to the top floor, exhausted by the endurance of the stairs, yet Doctor Julien was lively and excited. He flipped a switch and the light in the center of the room disappeared beneath the floorboards, quickly being replaced by a table large enough to fit the entire group. Kali stood by the staircase, watching Zane and his father quietly talk as her family was given drinks by a small droid. The droid leaped off of the table and approached her with a cup in its claws, which she politely declined. 

Another creak caught Kali’s hearing; out of the corner of her gaze, she caught the glint of copper on one of the landings below. After confirming that the Ninja and their senseis were distracted, even Zane was facing away from her, she snuck down and followed the gleam of copper and the creaks and groans of the mysterious figure. Within the shadows, she could see the figure sprinting down the stairs, occasionally glancing up at her in fear. She wanted to call out to it, that it had no need to fear her, but she knew that would make it feel worse. By the time she had made it to the base floor, the figure had disappeared, leaving the area silent. Her eyes scanned the area, catching a lever that was resetting itself, clicking into an upward position; curiously, she walked over and flipped the lever downward, jumping back when a secret door creaked open, revealing a sloped pathway heading into a basement. 

Kali glanced upward once again, realizing that no one had heard the sound of the door. She was on her own. Taking in a steadying breath, she descended down the slick slope, feeling the soles of her shoes skid and slide downward as her arms flailed outward. “Whoa, whoa!” she cried, stumbling forward into the basement. The area, only about fifty square feet, was filled with shelves overflowing with blueprints, spare paper, and the occasional tool or gears. Boxes of scrap metal, coils, and wiring lay scattered across the room, with a drafting table tucked by the only window in the far left corner. 

“Hello?” Kali cooed, taking a step forward. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

Scuffling was heard from behind the shelf, the figure scrambling away from the sound of her footsteps. 

“I won’t come closer, I’ll stay right here,” she said, sitting on the floor. “My name is Kali Hallson, I was built to assist. What’s your name?”

Silence resonated for a few seconds. Shuffling, metal creaking and grinding against one another; a silhouette moved from the wall towards the edge of the shelf. “Built?” The voice was small, but it sent a shock through her system. It couldn’t be. 

“Yes, I am an android built by my creator, Katherine. I was made to assist her, but I now assist my friends. I am traveling with eight other people; they are with who I assume is your father?”

The figure stepped closer, she could tell he was nodding. Kali continued, “Kai is the one dressed in red; he’s very sweet and kind but a little headstrong. Jay is the one in blue; he can be quite loud and up front but he also is very respectful. Cole is the one in black; he’s rather quiet but is very friendly once you get to know him. Lloyd is the green one; he can be a little jokester but he’s also very sweet and gentle. Nya is in the red and gold kimono; she is very blunt but my closest friend. Our sensei is Wu, the man with the white beard; he is very mysterious and vague, beware when asking for advice. Misako is Lloyd’s mother, I do not know much about her. We only met her a few days ago.”

“That is only seven,” the figure said after a moment’s pause. 

Kali bit her lip. She had an idea of who the figure was, based on only a few things he had said, now it was time to see his reaction. “The last person is my love. He is the one dressed in white. He is the one I can put my trust in, the one I can tell any secret to; he’s kind, sweet, loving, patient, and I love him with all of my heart.”

“What’s his name?”

“Zane.”

Silence. “Is he the one who looks like me?”

“May I see you?” Kali asked, tilting her head ever so slightly. A breath, a pause, a heartbeat-

The figure stood and stepped out into the sunlight, taking her breath away in surprise. A replica made seemingly made of rusted metal, copper eyes curiously yet cautiously looked over her, searching for any threat. He gripped his left arm as it threatened to fall out of its socket, creaking and groaning from the strain. He did not have a panel covering his chest, revealing the inner mechanisms, coils, bolts, and screws. Kali had to wonder how he survived for so long. 

“What is your name?” she asked. 

“Zane,” he replied, staring down at the floor. “The Zane that looks like me- he called Father his father too, is that correct?”

Kali nodded, “Yes, the one I travel with was built first, but your father and he were separated for many years. How long ago were you built?”

Zane shook his head, “I do not know, every day is the same.”

Kali reached her hand up, slowly but steadily, and held it there. Zane stared at her, still torn between trusting her or not. His eyes glanced between the floor to her open hand as silence filled the basement. Then, he took a step forward. Another step. Another. He reached out and- he hesitated, his hand hovering only an inch or so above her porcelain palm, before his hand wrapped around hers. 

Kali glanced back at Zane’s arm, feeling sadness and pain seeing him so rusted. “We can try to repair you,” she said. “Our ship has a workshop, and Nya and Jay are very talented mechanics.”

“Would you be there too?”

“If you want me there.”

He nodded his head, creaks and groans of the metal filled the air, “I… I would like that.”  
Kali stood and helped Zane out of the basement, pausing on the main floor. “Zane, do you want to be called Zane?”

His gaze faltered, “It never felt right. Like Father was looking past me whenever he said my name. I… I like Echo.”

Kali smiled and gave a bow, “It is wonderful to meet you, Echo.”

He gave a warm giggle and bowed back, still holding onto his arm, “It is wonderful to meet you too, Kali!”

At the base of the stairs, Kali looked up at the top floor several flights up and asked, “Do you want to meet Zane first? Or everyone at once?”

“Zane first, please,” Echo murmured, suddenly feeling withdrawn again. 

Kali leaned over and pressed her forehead against his, “It will be okay, I can go find him. It’ll be all right, Echo.”

Echo nodded and whispered, “I trust you.”

With a smile, Kali stepped back and started back up the rather long journey to the top floor; after what felt like an eternity (and aching joints), she stumbled into the gathering area and held onto her knees, panting softly. Zane was at her side in an instant, looking concerned. 

“Kali, are you okay?” he asked, his eyes gleaming with worry. 

“I am fine,” she replied with a smile. “It’s just a lot of stairs.” She glanced back down the stairwell and whispered, “Zane, I need you to follow me. There’s something I need to show you.”

Zane blinked in surprise, “Oh, of course.” 

Kali once again trekked back down the winding pathway, this time with Zane in tow. With about two flights remaining, she could see Echo hiding behind some of the boxes. She hurried over to him and murmured, “It’s okay, I’ll be right beside you. You don’t need to be afraid.”

“Kali? Who is this?” Zane asked, growing concerned as he stepped onto the main floor. 

Echo and Kali stepped out into the sunlight, her holding onto his right shoulder. She took in a soft breath and said, “Zane, this is your brother- Echo. Echo, this is your brother- Zane.”

Zane was stunned into silence, his wide sapphire eyes searching over Echo’s rusted form, the tension building in the air. He opened his mouth, his eyebrows raising, but no words came out. He tried again, yet the words refused to leave his throat. “I…” Tears started to form in his eyes. Kali rushed over and cupped his face, her neon eyes burned with worry. 

Zane gave a watery smile, resting his forehead against hers. “I have a brother!” he sobbed. He turned to Echo, who was standing by waiting in awkward silence and wrapped him in a bear hug, burying his face into the crook of his rusted shoulder. “Echo, I love you already.”

Echo gave a bright grin and a laugh, hugging his brother in his one good arm. “Hello brother, it is wonderful to meet you.”

Zane stepped back and wiped at his eyes on the back of his sleeve, then he pulled Kali into the group hug with Echo. Zane’s heart was bursting with joy, he sobbed, “I have a family! I have my past! I am whole!”


	20. Alternate Skybound Moments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is gonna be a little different and shorter than other chapters. This is two separate ideas for _The Last Resort,_ and one day I hope to try and rewrite Skybound to be less sexist and romance-driven, with the removal of the Djinn Marriage Ceremony. 
> 
> Part One is more friendship-driven; when the portal in the basement is dimming.
> 
> Part two is if they used the tea to escape before Nadakhan arrived.

**Part One:**

The lighthouse was under siege by an armada of Sky Pirates desperate to get to Nya and Jay, though both were for two separate reasons. Nya held the final wish that could end Nadakhan the Djinn's reign over Ninjago, but Jay could be used to bring Nadakhan to ultimate power through a special ceremony. He had originally searched for Nya, hoping that he could use her to bring his deceased love back to life, but learned that a marriage ceremony would not work unless both partners consented and verbally agreed to the union.

Jay and Nya were trapped in the basement of the old tower, their backs pressed against their only line of defense against the relentless pirates slamming against the door. Nya was trembling, her heart racing in a frantic pace with her shuddering breaths. They had to get out, but the second they moved, the door would burst open and they would be overrun in an instant.

Nya turned to her best friend, searching his face for any sign that he knew what to do. He had to know, he worked well under pressure... right? Okay, so that was a lie, but he had to know at least something that they could do? 

Jay gave a weak smile, his eyes remained locked on the ground at his feet, "I guess this truly is a last resort, huh?" He leaned down and picked up the teapot containing the Traveler's Tea, their only means of escape from Nadakhan's reach.

With a tip, the glowing bluish-purple water poured out with a mystical aura. A flash of light and a portal appeared at their feet, though their hearts shattered at the same realization; it was too small for both of them. 

"There's no way that can hold both of us!" Nya cried, feeling her feet slipping from beneath her. 

"It is big enough for you, take the poison and get out. You're our last hope, Nya," Jay said, keeping his gaze on the galaxy swirling at their feet. 

"I can't leave you here! He'll kill you, Jay! I can’t…” her voice broke. "I can't lose my best friend again!"

Jay's terrified expression suddenly melted away, being replaced with a calm exterior. He smiled, a tear trailing down his freckled, scarred cheek. "Nya, I promised you that you would be able to make your own decisions. I promised that you would be able to create your own future, to do what you wanted and needed to do-" Jay turned and gave her his signature bright grin, though tears now flowed freely, "But I need to break that promise one last time. Save me, Nya Smith. There's going to be a ceremony, and I know you're going to stop it." He dropped the teapot, shattering next to the dying portal. Jay shoved the vial of poison into her hands, wrapping her fingers around the cool glass vial, and shoved her into the vortex. 

Nya screamed, reaching desperately for her best friend as he faded away. His smile never faded, even as the door burst open. He never looked away, even as dozens of hands grabbed at him, tugging him away to become Nadakhan's Prize. He never stopped believing in her.

**Part Two:**

Jay and Nya were busting about the lighthouse, grabbing whatever they could that they thought would help them in the battle against Nadakhan. Echo sat on the edge of the table, his golden eyes glinting with curiosity at the two visitors.

Nya shoved in the miscellaneous items into Jay, well, _Cole's bag_ and zipped it shut as Jay prepped the tea. Nya turned to Echo and asked, "Are you ready? It's gonna be a strange trip."

Echo's gaze dropped, "I am... unsure. I have never left my home before."

Jay sat down next to Echo and wrapped his arm around the copper nindroid, giving him a bright smile. "Don't worry, we'll take care of you! We'll be by your side and make sure that you're okay."

Echo Zane nodded and reached behind him, pulling out a small bag that was once used to carry blueprints from the basement to the top floor. Inside were spare parts, his favorite tools, a blueprint of himself (or his mysterious brother Jay and Nya had mentioned), and a picture of him and his father several years ago before strangers in many colors came. He shifted the bag over his shoulder, gripped Gizmo against his chest, feeling the tea droid rumble against him in its familiar calming way, and smiled. "I think I am ready now. As long as you are here with me."

Jay stood and held out his hand, as did Nya. Echo stood up, with the assistance of his new friends, and felt Nya wrap her arm around his shoulder as Jay poured the strange glowing tea onto the ground. A glowing portal appeared before them, swirling in numerous pastel colors that overwhelmed Echo a slight bit. Nya steadied him as Jay held onto his arm, and together the family of four stepped into the portal, reappearing in a new part of Ninjago while the ancient lighthouse waited for its oncoming visitors.


	21. Falling in Love With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Temporary Character Death

_Wise men say only fools rush in  
But I can't help falling in love with you  
Oh, shall I stay, would it be a sin  
Oh, if I can't help falling in love with you?_

Kali and Zane lay tucked in their arms as the sun rises to the East, streaming through the windows of the Destiny's Bounty. Way too early for the rest of their family to be awake on the weekend morning, yet the two lovestruck androids relished in the peace and quiet ever so rare on the ancient ship. Swaying softly to the instrumental sound crooning from the nearby radio, Zane lowered his head ever so slightly and gently sang to his beloved- the only person who ever made his heart glow brighter than the rising star.

_Like a river flows, surely to the sea  
Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be  
Take my hand, take my whole life too  
Oh, for I can't help falling in love with you_

Kali rested with her legs tucked underneath her, holding her fading love in her arms as the bone-chilling snow fluttered around them in the desolate city buried under a layer of ice. Zane's eyes flickered in the afternoon light struggling to break through the clouds that had manifested during his blizzard, his heart barely pulsing in his open chest. Glowing a faint mix of neon blue and gold, his breath escaped his partially open lips in weak puffs, desperate to keep his eyes on her and only her as the world faded from around him. Kali rested her forehead against his and shakily sang their song as he faded from her hands.

_Oh, like a river flows, surely to the sea  
Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be  
Oh, take my hand, take my whole life too  
For I can't help falling in love with you  
Oh, for I can't help falling in love with you_

Kali stood on the pier of the cult leader's island, staring at the sunset over the horizon far in the distance; the crimson and amber waves crashing gently against the dock below her as she stood alone in her thoughts. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes only for a few moments before she felt someone approaching from behind. A voice. A voice softly crooned from behind her, gentle as a breeze at first but slowly becoming stronger and louder. A smile grew on her lips as tears rolled down her cheeks, joining her husband in song as she turned to face him. Titanium glinted in the sunlight, yet she couldn't look away as their voices mixed together in perfect harmony once again. 

_Oh, like a river flows, surely to the sea  
Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be  
Oh, take my hand, take my whole life too  
For I can't help falling in love with you  
Oh, for I can't help falling in love with you_


End file.
